


Flash of Red

by ultraviolet_violet



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Smut, Soft Betty, Strangers to Lovers, kind of a slow burn but not really a slow burn, news flash: they’re not, soft Jughead, there’s also dogs, they think they’re good at hiding their feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 71,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24103264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultraviolet_violet/pseuds/ultraviolet_violet
Summary: “The city’s about 70 miles that way.” He pointed over her head as he took another drag from his cigarette, the blondes head following his action. She turned back to him with a smile, removing her sunglasses. For a moment he was taken aback by the startling green color of her eyes, but he calmed himself quickly.“I know where the city is, but thank you.” She dropped the sunglasses into her purse and it was the first time he realized a bag of luggage beside her feet. “I need somewhere to stay until the storm passes.” His line of vision followed her hand as she pointed up at the sky and he winced a little. “May I?”
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Polly Cooper/Jason Blossom
Comments: 77
Kudos: 161





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

“No, Kevin, I’ll be there. I promise.” Betty set the phone down on her nightstand, putting it on speaker. 

“Betty, you can cancel the trip. There’s a huge storm coming in in a few days. I would hate for you to get hurt.” Kevin explained this to her over the phone even if he knew it was useless. Betty Cooper was stubborn and listened to no one, not even her closest friend. 

She sighed, folding her dresses into her suitcase. “Kevin, I haven’t seen you in almost a year and now I _finally_ have time off from work. I’m going to come and see you. It’d be wrong for me not to. Plus, it’s only like a three hour drive, I’ll be fine.” 

“Uh, B, it’s actually like a three day drive. You live in LA, not Upstate New York.” He told her cautiously over the phone and she huffed. “I mean, you could always just fly.”

“That’s not even funny. You know how much I hate flying. That is the one thing I will never, _ever_ do, Kev.” She sighed, letting out a short and clipped excited laugh when she zipped her suitcase. “Hah! I’m ready! I will be there by next week, count on it!” He laughed as she ended the call, falling down onto her bed. 

~

“Arch, I’m not that alone. I got Hotdog, Scout, and Bailey. I got Ginger, too, where ever the fuck she is, and I got the rest of the animals.” Jughead pressed his friend. 

“Says the one who lives on a fucking _farm_!” Jughead cringed at how harshly he said the words, frowning a little. “Jug, a cat, dogs, cows, horses, and goats are not friends.” 

“They’re all I need here. And you only say all this because you’re jealous.” 

“I still don’t get why you did this. Some people would think you went to war or something.” Jughead’s jaw tightened as he listened to his friends’ words. 

He rubbed a hand over his face, sighing. “I-It’s late and I was working all day. I should go to bed, Archie.” 

“I liked you better when you would stay up all night playing video games with me.” He frowned and shook his head, even if he knew his friend couldn’t see him. “Bye, Jug. Talk to you later.” Jughead nodded, ending the call before anything more could be said. 

~

Betty had woken up bright and early the second day of her trip, getting on the road so she could hopefully beat the raging storm that was brewing ahead. She didn’t make any pit stops that weren’t necessary and just decided that listening to music and podcasts could keep her busy. 

When she was just a little over a hour out of the city, the storm nowhere in sight, she stopped and changed out of her shorts and t-shirt, putting on a sundress so she looked a little put together when she arrived. 

She was back on the road in relative time and she cheered when she realized that she could make it to the city in the next hour and a half. But, almost as soon as the happiness hit her, it left her. 

As she was driving down a nearly abandoned road, her car decided to crap out on her. It sputtered and gave her enough life to pull over, but as soon as the engine started to smoke, she knew it was trash. 

“Ugh!” She stomped out of the car angrily, coughing and waving a hand in front of her face as she opened the hood of her car. “Bullshit!” She slammed it shut, walking back to the car and fishing out her purse. She dug around until she found her phone, scoffing when she had no service. “Okay, what the actual fuck?” 

She fell inside of the car, rolling her eyes in annoyance. How could she have just gone from being less than three hours away from the city to being a two-day walk with no stops? She knew it would be no use to attempt to hitchhike, there was no way any cars ever came down this road and if they did, they had to be creeps. She can’t even call triple A so they can get her a new car or at least get hers towed. 

With a defeated sigh, she locked the doors and laid back in her seat, letting her eyes drift closed. 

~

Jughead whistled to the three dogs, all of them running into the house at his feet. He held onto the wall for support before following them in, putting food in all of their bowls. “Have any of you seen the cat? I even checked the damn horse stalls and she’s not there. I’ve seen every other cat, ones that aren’t even mine, but I haven’t seen Ginger.” He huffed, putting the dog food back. 

He opened the fridge, taking out the lunch meat before walking across the kitchen to get bread. “She’s dead, isn’t she? She died and you guys didn’t-” He cut himself off when he heard a meow at his foot before he felt the brush of fur along his ankle. “What the… where the hell have you been?” He scratched her head, getting her small purr. 

He fed her quickly before making a sandwich himself, walking into the living room and switching on the TV. He cringed at the radar the news flashed, letting out a disgruntled huff. “I can’t even sit for five minutes. Come on, guys. We gotta go back out.” 

The dogs came running as soon as the door opened, Jughead holding his sandwich in his mouth as he held the cat back with his foot. “We’re lucky if we don’t get a tornado. Stay the fuck inside.” He could almost feel the judgment radiate off of her as she strutted away, her tail straight up and making him laugh. “Very convincing… and I’m talking to a cat. You are at the bottom of the food chain, Jughead.” 

~

Betty woke up suddenly, springing forward. “No, no, no.” She inspected her body for sunburn and was moderately surprised when she couldn’t find a splotch of angry red skin anywhere. She grabbed her phone and looked at the time, scoffing. “I slept for six hours?!” 

Her brain spun and she was aggravated to the bone. There had to at least be one car that had passed by here in that time. Yeah, it was very rural, but it was still partially trafficked. If you were going to the city from anywhere upstate, this was the quickest route. 

She started the car with a grunt and groan, whining when all the engine did was smoke. She grabbed her purse and got out of the car, opening the back passenger side door and taking out her suitcase. She dropped it at her side and grabbed her sun hat as well, placing that on before fishing around in her purse for her sunscreen.

She sat there slathering it on for some time, not wanting to get sun cancer from her walk to find some sort of civilization. When she decided she was fairly covered and her dermatologist would applaud her, she put it away and fished out her sunglasses. She also made a mental note to clean out her purse when she got home or at least organize it better. For a person who had a neat life, she couldn’t pack worth shit, she couldn’t keep a clutch or a purse organized to save her life either. 

“You got me far,” She said in mock sadness as she closed both open doors and locked up the car. “But you are a piece of unreliable shit right now and I _hate_ you! Like, it’s so bad, I loathe you!” She huffed as she dropped her keys into the abyss of her purse, draping the straps over the handle on her suitcase, putting on her sunglasses. “I’m better than this, I deserve better.” 

She stomped away sassily, her head high and her nose stuck up in the air as if she was one of her coworkers she had become close with leaving a man she had used for sex and sex only. 

~

“Shit, has it gotten hotter to you?” Jughead pulled off his gloves and pocketed them, rubbing the horse’s head. “Now I talk to horses. I’m going a little insane out here.” He checked the stalls one last time to make sure they were all locked and secure before he walked out of the barn. He locked those doors as well, placing sandbags at the bottom of the door to hopefully help against flooding if it came down to that.

Afterward, he checked on the other animals’ barns and coops as well, making sure they were all locked tight and they were safe as they could be. He called the dogs and they all came running, much as they had earlier. 

He looked over his shoulder one last time to make sure everything was in place, walking inside and falling down onto the couch. He groaned and grunted at the strain in his back and shoulders, pinching the bridge of his nose with a long sigh. A moment later Ginger jumped up onto his stomach, Jughead grunting again at the contact. 

“Hey, you stayed inside, good.” He shook his head at himself, rolling his eyes. “God, Archie’s right, I’m fucking insane.” 

His hand reached out for the TV remote but froze halfway. Why ruin the silence with the annoying rant of what incredulous shit happened in Riverdale that day? Or listen to them talk up the storm that was coming. He knew it was going to be bad. It was the middle of June, the heat was blistering, but the humidity was up, and it hadn’t rained for more than two minutes in three weeks. A storm was bound to brew. 

The dogs came trudging in, all of their chins dripping with water. Jughead chuckled, rubbing each of their heads as he sat up and pulled his t-shirt off, rubbing his face with it. He shoved it behind him, finding his cigarettes and lit one, lying his head back on the back of the couch as he inhaled deeply, letting the smoke fill his lungs before he let it out with a long, drawn-out exhale. 

~

“Really? _Still_?” Betty glared at her phone angrily, rolling her eyes. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, whining. She can handle the heat, it wasn’t that that was bothering her. What was bothering her was how stupid she was for not bringing sneakers or some type of walking shoes with her. All she had were her sandals on her feet and she couldn’t find the energy to take out her running shoes from her bag. She stopped and sat down in the grass, giving her ankles and feet a break for a moment. 

She had been walking for nearly three hours now and she’s starting to believe that even while she slept for six hours, that no car had passed her. She used her suitcase to help her stand up, fixing her dress and starting to walk forward with an exhausted, but aggravated huff. 

She walked for what felt like another mile when she saw it. “Yes! Yes, oh, my God! Finally!” She enjoyed her small little celebration, clapping excitedly before walking forward with a pep in her step to the large white house. 

~

Jughead tapped his cigarette into an ashtray, bringing it back to his mouth when there was a knock on the door. All the dogs’ heads popped up, Ginger rolling onto her back completely unbothered where she was sunbathing in front of the window. His brows furrowed and he partially expected to see a cracked out psycho standing at his door. 

What he didn’t expect was to see a gorgeous blonde standing there, front and center. She had on small sandals that obviously gave her feet no support and he cringed internally. Her small red floral dress stopped mid-thigh and he hated himself for how he felt his body begin to react at how it made her look and the way the v-cut neckline made her breasts pop. She had huge sunglasses covering half of her face and he deemed them worthless with the large floppy hat she had on. She looked ready to go to the beach, not here. 

“Town’s about 70 miles that way.” He pointed over her head as he took another drag from his cigarette, the blondes head following his action. She turned back to him with a smile, removing her sunglasses. For a moment he was taken aback by the startling green color of her eyes, but he calmed himself quickly. 

“I know where the city is, but thank you.” She dropped the sunglasses into her purse and it was the first time he realized a bag of luggage beside her feet. “I need somewhere to stay until the storm passes.” His line of vision followed her hand as she pointed up at the sky and he winced a little. “May I?” 

He nodded, stepping back again as he took yet another drag from his cigarette. “You don’t have a problem with dogs or cats, right? Because if you do, uh, it’s going to be a problem.” She shook her head and her eyes locked with the cigarette in his hand. “Shit. This too, I’m sorry.” He snuffed it out, throwing it away.

She followed him cautiously into the house, watching his every move, and Jughead shivered under her burning gaze. He pulled his shirt on quickly, trying to make it look like he had suddenly gotten cold, even if it was almost 70 degrees inside. “C-Can I get you anything?” She shook her head again, still standing nervously beside the couch. “You can sit, it’s fine. Uh, Bailey.” He snapped his fingers and she stood, Bailey running to his feet, Hotdog and Scout following. 

He walked into the kitchen, standing at the counter. “I haven’t been around a woman in too long.” He took in deep breaths, shaking his head at himself. “Who do I think I am? I’m making myself look like a complete fool.” 

With a pat to each dog’s head, he left the kitchen and walked back into the living room. She was now sitting, twisting her fingers, a completely opposite image of who she was at the door no less than three minutes ago. Her eyes were fixated on the coffee table and she was chewing on her bottom lip as if she hadn’t eaten in days. 

He cleared his throat and her body tensed before her head spun around. “Um, t-this storm isn’t going to pass until the morning. I have extra bedrooms if you would be more comfortable there. Or you can stay down here, I don’t mind.” She nodded along, standing up. “I-I have a phone if you need to call someone, too. My address and p-phone number are right there, so you can tell them where you are.” 

She walked over to it, tucking hair behind her ear. “Thank you, a lot.” 

He gave a nod, shoving his hands into his pockets. “And my name is Jughead… Jones.” 

“Betty Cooper.” She flashed him a smile before she turned away, dialing a number hastily. She disappeared into the dining room and he sighed, falling down onto the couch. 

“God, I’m such an idiot.” He covered his face with his hands before rubbing his eyes and dragging them down his face. “I have to call Archie, shit.” He looked over his shoulder and saw nothing of her but he heard her hushed giggle, followed by a high-pitched “Kev!” 

Boyfriend? Best friend? Was he even legally allowed to ask or think of something like that? The rain started just a moment later and he knew the connection would begin to get bad soon. There was no way he was calling Archie that night. 

He watched Ginger stretch as it started to rain harder, the cat jumping off the window sill and climbing up the stairs. Scout’s head was in his lap and he slowly stroked his ears, staring straight out the window as he chanted ‘idiot’ over and over in his head. He was acting like a scared teenager around her. He’s 27, not 16 for crying out loud. 

She walked out of the room a minute later, placing the phone back before walking strategically over to him. “Thank you for letting me use your phone.”

He glanced over at her, sitting up a little. “Yeah, i-it’s no problem. You can use it whenever I don’t mind.” Her cheeks were a little red and he guessed he was much the same but if you multiply it by ten. “I hope your windows aren’t down in your car because it’s going to get ruined.” He chuckled nervously and she did the same. 

“N-No, none are.” She started twisting her hands again, her eyes watching the rain come down heavier.  
  


Jughead stood, sighing. “Why don’t I show you to a bedroom? J-Just so you have your own space.” 

“O-Okay. Thank you.” He gave her a smile, picking her suitcase up and hiding his grunt at how heavy it was. Who takes this much shit with them anywhere? 

He walked her up the stairs and pointed her to the bedroom that sat directly in front of them. He set her suitcase on the bed along with her purse, stepping back when he was done. “The bathroom has towels and washcloths and soap, whatever you need. My space is your space.” He left it at that, walking out of the room and back down the stairs. 

~

Betty’s eyes followed him as he jogged down the steps, a sigh escaping her when he disappeared. She closed the door and sat down on the bed, burying her head in her hands and groaning. How had her car managed to break down and force her to walk to the hottest guys house she’s seen in years? He could be a killer for all she knows, he lives in the middle of absolutely nowhere, but she is willing to do anything for him. 

He’s, like, Calvin Kline underwear model ready but he lives on a farm? She thinks? She didn’t see any farm animals, but there is a huge storm coming. 

Her eyes went straight to the window, the rain hitting it harshly and the sky an angry, dark grey color. It wasn’t looking good, not even in the slightest. 

Betty got up off the bed and turned on the light, inspecting the room next. There was a simple queen sized mattress on a wooden bed frame in the middle of the room. The sheets and comforter were just a simple plain white, and it made her feel a little unnerved. Most men have such dark items of everything in their houses or apartments, this contrast was almost frightening. But maybe that was just an LA thing, maybe guys here are different and they give a shit about how they look when they’re _not_ auditioning for a stupid acting part they know they can’t get. 

The rest of the room was pretty much empty besides a dresser and two nightstands that were the same wood as the bed.

She walked into the bathroom next, sighing at the all white interior again. Maybe he was just a very modern, very up-with-the-times type of guy. When she turned to walk out a dog was standing right there and she gasped, clutching her chest as her heart raced. 

“Hey,” She squatted down, scratching the dogs ears. “What’s your name?” Her hand wrapped around the nametag that sat on the collar, lifting it and furrowing her brows. “Hotdog? That’s… you shouldn’t judge, you’re better than that, Betty.” She stood with a deep breath, smoothing her hands over her dress. 

When she walked out of the bathroom, she hissed through her teeth as she glanced out the window. “Oh, God.” She pulled the curtains closed, not wanting to look at it. She could hear the wind whip outside and a spark of fear hit her. She didn’t know where she was or who she was with, she has no clue when this storm is going to be over, and has no idea when she could make it home. Now she really wishes she would have just flew in. 

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead find out a lot about each other despite only knowing one another for a few short hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Jughead walked out of the shower, not liking how it looked outside. He got changed quickly, leaving his room to get downstairs so he could turn on the news before the power went out. He got there just in time, watching the radar go across the screen momentarily before the power shut off and a yelp came from upstairs. 

The door to the bedroom that Betty was staying in opened and she walked out. “I’m so sorry, it just startled me.” He chuckled and waved her off, walking over to a cabinet, pulling out multiple flashlights and candles. 

She walked down the stairs timidly, leaning on the railing. “Do you want one?” She nodded and he passed it to her, watching her turn it on. 

“You don’t have a backup generator?” He could feel the fear and anxiety rolling off of her, and he could see it in the way the flashlight trembled a little in her hands.

“Um, I-I do I just don’t use it for lights. Not big ones, at least.”  _ Big ones? What the hell are you thinking?  _ He mentally cursed himself, turning away from her. 

“Wh-Where are you going?” He raised an eyebrow as he glanced back at her, her cheeks pink. “I-I’m sorry, I just… I don’t… I’m sorry.” 

“No, no, you’re fine. You’re probably scared. It’s a new place and you don’t know me and now… more likely than not, a tornado is going to touch down. I mean, it probably won’t touch down here but it will touch down close and it’ll cause damage.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Why don’t you stay down here? I will, too.” He watched her shoulders loosen slightly as she gave him a head nod. “I’m going to grab you a blanket, I’ll be back downstairs in a second.” 

He waited until she was seated on the couch, walking up the stairs and taking two at a time. He grabbed a blanket from the linen closet, walking back downstairs and turning the corner to flash it to her. “Thank you, you didn’t have to do that.” 

“It’s a precautionary measure.” He flashed her a smile, sitting on the end of the couch. An awkward silence grew, the only noise being the wind, thunder and occasional lighting. He could see her shoulders tense every few seconds, her hands curling as well. “Um, w-we’re going to be here awhile and… I know nothing about you and you know nothing about me.” Her head turned and he clenched his jaw before continuing. “Y-You can say no to this but… maybe we can talk or something? Just-Just to get our minds off of what’s going on.”

She turned to face him fully, sitting criss-cross on the couch. “Like, a game of twenty questions?”

“Yes, no… maybe?” She smiled a little, Jughead doing the same. “I-I just want to help you feel comfortable because there’s no way you’re not scared on some level. I… I know I would be if I were in your position.” Her face contorted to part confusion and part worry and he sighed, smacking a hand over his face. “God, I don’t mean it like that. I-I just mean if I was at some random house in the middle of a huge storm-” 

“I understand what you mean.” He let out a huff that was almost more of a laugh, sighing. “Well, um, we-we know each other’s names. I’m Betty, you’re Jughead. I’m 24-years-old, I'm a grad student at University of Southern California pursuing a flammable career in journalism, and I moved there for no reason. I actually hate it there. The people are fake and just want money and don’t stick to anything. They’re all there to become the next big movie star, it kind of sucks.” 

“You’re not?”

“No,” She said it around a small laugh, her anxiety obviously melting a little. “I would hate to be on TV. Once you’re out there and your social media accounts are at everyones grasps, anyone can judge you no matter what and they’ll never be held accountable for the things that they do. I-I know journalism is kind of right there in the spectrum of it, but I tend to stay away from celebrities' lives. It’s not worth it. Knowing they’re every move; it’s ridiculous.” She sighed, taking in a deep breath. “Let me stop talking about me. What about you?”

He snorted, sighing. “Well, I’m 27 and I… bought this off of one of my teachers at the end of my senior year of high school. I didn’t do anything with it until…” He choked on the words for a moment, clearing his throat. “Um, until about five years ago. Sometimes I hate it, but I love it at the same time. The quiet, it-it’s nice,  _ really  _ nice.”

“Don’t you go crazy sometimes?” 

“Yeah, it’s kind of hard not to. And I know it looks like I’m hundreds of light years away from things, but I’m really not. There’s a town about 14 or 15 miles out. It’s small but it’s enough. Then, if I need something from… a bigger city, like parts for my truck or something, I go to the city which is 70 miles away. When I’m out there I go and see friends though so, it’s not like I’m always alone.” 

The storm felt almost forgotten to Jughead as he watched her bite her lip and he mentally kicked himself. That was not something for him to be paying attention to. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but, why are you out here? Why don’t you live in the city if that’s where all your friends are?” 

He stared down at his hands for a moment, chewing the inside of his lip. “I was never a part of the army or anything, that’s something everyone kind of expects to hear.” He swallowed, taking in a deep breath. “I, uh, I went to college in the city. Um, I came home one weekend… my mom and my dad have -  _ had  _ \- a little girl. She was… was 3-years-old. M-My little sister. She was…” 

~

He chuckled a little tearfully and Betty felt a stubborn pang in her chest. She felt horrible for bringing up something that brought up a horrible situation in his head. “Y-You don’t have to finish. It’s okay, really.” 

“No, I-I do. I have to face reality at some point.” He felt bile rise in his throat and he swallowed around the heavy, painful lump it formed. “She wanted to go out, so I took her. I wasn’t around a lot. I was that… I don’t know. Maybe I felt too cool to go home, i-it was stupid. But, anyways, when we asked our parents, they didn’t want us to go. It was close to dinner time and I was leaving the next day and I drove up there, too, so I needed sleep - we lived in Toledo, Ohio, by the way.” He let out a long sigh, his eyes staring out the window. 

“W-We went anyway, and they didn’t know. I told her to keep it secret, they’ll never… they’ll never find out. She couldn’t keep secrets to save her life, so I knew I was done the minute we walked out of the house.” He drew in a shaky breath, Betty watching him closely even with tears in her eyes. “Sh-She never got to say goodbye to our parents, ever. I-I took that away from her and I will always… I’ll always regret it.” 

Suddenly, Betty’s stomach was in her throat, along with her heart. As lightning flashed, both of their flashlights now turned off, she caught the dampness on his cheeks and the pool of tears in his eyes. She knew so little about this man, yet at the same time, she knew so much. He was willing to show all of this emotion to her with only knowing her for a little over three hours. 

“We decided to drive to a park that was pretty far away. It was dumb and reckless and everyone said it wasn’t my fault, b-but it was, you know?” His breath he let out was shaky and Betty wiped at her tear that fell. “I pulled to a stop at a stop sign, but I didn’t look at all. I stopped for maybe a second and then I just kept driving. But before we could… another car slammed into us at full speed on her side of the car. She was gone as soon as it hit us.” 

She gasped, tears falling from her eyes as he let out a silent sob. “I-I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t know. If I did, I wouldn’t have… I’m so sorry.” 

He shook his head, taking in a deep breath. “Uh, they said she didn’t feel anything because it happened so fast. The driver, she… came out unscatched. She called the ambulance, she was the one who told me my sister was dead because she was a nurse and had an excuse. She had just come off of a night shift, she was tired so she didn’t see us. My parents tried her in court, I tried to stop it because Jelly wouldn’t want people doing that, she wouldn’t have understood any of it. And the whole process was worthless. It was court date after court date of just pure arguing.”

Betty wiped at her eyes and his sadness suddenly turned to blank sort of anger. “The most they got was a $200,000 payout. Yeah, it’s not nothing, but it was just… you would think because they’re grieving parents they would do something for the baby they had to bury, but  _ no.  _ They needed a pool for the next kid that they were having.” He shook his head, gritting his teeth. “She was forgotten by them. She became nothing, just like that. They didn’t even bury her, they cremated her. They cremated a 3-year-old,  _ their _ 3-year-old.” 

Betty shivered, not because it was cold, but out of just pure shock. It was their choice, of course, but she couldn’t imagine the pain he had suffered over the event. She couldn’t even begin to fathom a world that Polly wasn’t a part of. She was her best friend, though she was older than her, losing Polly would ruin her. But the thought of losing a younger sister, someone you were raised to protect, ate her alive like nothing ever had before. 

“They didn’t keep her ashes. I had to beg the fucking mortition, like a crazy person, to get her from him.” He sighed, wiping his face. “I don’t wish this on anyone, ever. I just… I don’t get how someone can lose their daughter and almost lose their son, then just not care.” 

She let out a silent sigh, twisting her hands. “W-What happened to you?” 

He glanced up at her then back to his hands. “I… my spine jammed really badly, I shouldn’t even be walking today, but I am because I forced myself to learn. It was from my T5 to my T9, and somehow my spinal cord stayed intact. I had a handful of surgeries, some were way more successful than others but you can only do so much ‘cause it’s your spine, you know?”

She nodded, wiping at her face one last time. “Yeah.” He gave her a small curl of his lips before he sighed. 

“After about a year because of the way my spine healed, I got diagnosed with a 60 degree curvature in my spine. So, I went in for another surgery. They fused my spine from T11 to L4 and also placed metal screws and rods and all that fancy shit. M-My backs fine now, even if it shouldn't be.” He looked down at his hands, letting out a long exhale. “I-I know that was a long story but it’s why I’m out here. I don’t really know exactly why it drove me to run out here, but it did.”

“I think I judged you a little too hard when I first knocked on your door.” He raised his eyebrow at her and she tucked her hair behind her ear, fixing the skirt of her dress as she placed her legs to the side. “I, um, I expected you to be this psychotic, drugged out person. I thought you’d be addicted to something.” 

“I am. Nicotine. Not drugs, but it’s bad.” She smiled, nodding.

“Well, I’ll take that over drugs. But, I just… when you opened the door, I couldn’t believe someone like you lived out here, in the middle of nowhere, all alone.” 

“Like me?” She rolled her eyes, biting her lip as he smirked cockily. “You know, I judged you, too. You’re a young woman, walking on an abandoned road looking ready to go to the beach. I half expected you to be on something. Or maybe I expected you to be drunk, just something to signify why  _ you _ were here.” She laughed a little, sucking on her teeth for a moment. “Then you said your car broke down and I knew instantly you were okay - maybe.” His smile was playful and Betty couldn’t hide the grin that was starting to crack her face. “Believe it or not, it happens a few times a month - mostly in the summer.” 

“What? Women showing up on your doorstep needing to crash at your house because of a storm that’s coming and because their car broke down  _ and  _ because there’s no cellular data out here?” She watched him with a bright smile, Jughead chuckling.

~

“Totally.” She scoffed, giggling a little and he thought to himself,  _ I could listen to that sound all day.  _ His heart raced a little as he watched her fight her smile, a small blush on her cheeks. He deemed it all on her being the first woman he had been within a close proximity to in over a year. “You know, most people ask to use the phone immediately because there’s not normally a storm. They run inside here and call triple A like it’s Jesus. You were the first person  _ ever  _ to not call triple A besides myself.” 

“H-How do you know I didn’t call triple A? Are you looking at phone records?” She tilted her head to the side a little, biting her lip. 

“I don’t even look at my phone bill, you think I look at records?” She laughed a little, chewing her lip. “But, I know because I don’t think you call your triple A person by a nickname - or a first name.” 

“Oh, so now you listen in on calls?” 

“You were pretty loud.” She shrugged a little, letting out a sigh. 

“I called my best friend because that’s who I was coming to see. His name is Kevin, nicknames Kev. H-He deserved to know why I wouldn’t be there and I told him if I didn’t call or show up in two or three days he’s allowed to issue me as a missing person and I gave him your address so you’ll be the first person who he’ll mention if I go missing.” 

He raised his right hand and smirked. “I solemnly swear to you that you will not go missing, but the calling… if this storm knocks it out, I will get you to a phone. Or I’ll get you service, at least.” She nodded, giving him a smile.

“Thank you, and I will hold you to that because you swore on it.” He nodded, chuckling. 

“You want a beer?” She raised a questioning eyebrow and he huffed. “I suck at this. I-I’m just asking. I’m going to get one for myself so I thought… i-it would be…” 

“I’ll take a beer.” He gave her a corny thumbs up, Betty letting out a small laugh at the gesture. 

He smirked as he walked to the kitchen, wanting to know how she had managed to get him to discuss something he tells no one, and get him to laugh and joke and smile  _ hard.  _ His cheeks felt partially numb and he had only known her for three hours at most. She manages to shock him in every way possible and he enjoyed it maybe a little too much. 

Jughead walked out of the kitchen and back to the living room, holding the glass bottle out to her. “It’s cold. Isn’t the power out?” 

“I only use the generator for important things.” He sipped from his beer and she narrowed her eyes pursing her lips. 

“And lights aren’t important?” 

Jughead watched as she raised the bottle to her lips, watching her swallow before his eyes moved back to hers. “Uh, maybe I’ll consider it for the next storm.” 

“That’s all it takes?”

He furrowed his brows, obviously confused. “What?” 

“You watched me drink then said you’d think about getting another generator. Somebody’s head in the gutter?” She said it teasingly, making her lips as pouty as she could. 

“Mnm-mnm, not at all.” She hummed, nodding as she sipped from the bottle again. 

~

She gasped, Jughead still laughing. “You’re kidding?” 

“No, he just kind of… you know?” She laughed, throwing her head back with a groan. 

Outside the storm had calmed down and it was now just a steady rainfall. The sound was soothing behind Betty and Jughead’s drunk laughter over dumb things. They were sitting close together now, having migrated off the couch to sit on the floor, their thighs touching. Her dress had slipped up and was barely covering her underwear but he was in too much of a daze to notice and if Jughead was being honest, he was grateful.

He liked her, that he knew after just a few hours, and he didn’t want to fuck it up with bad, sloppy, unpleasureable drunk sex they would both end up regretting. He wanted to attempt to at least be able to maybe keep some sort of relationship with her after she has to leave. He also doesn’t want to ruin the little bubble of friendship they had created for the time being. He has done that too many times and he doesn’t want to do it again. 

Jughead stood, stumbling a little bit, the two of them laughing at the action. Betty did the same, almost tripping over her feet, falling into Jughead’s arms. “We should… go to bed.” 

She blinked and nodded with droopy, dazed eyes, gripping his biceps tightly. “T-That’s…” She tapped his chest with her hand once, sighing. “Yes.” She gripped his arm as they walked up the stairs, Jughead’s hand wrapping around her waist cautiously as she stumbled on the last three steps. 

They walked into the bedroom he offered to her and she sat down on the bed. Jughead undid her sandals as well as he could in his drunk state, peeling the covers back and helping her lie down. He covered her up quickly, Betty tucking her hand under the pillow and sighing again.

“Thank you sooo much.” She blew him a weak and limp kiss, her arm falling limply down onto the side of the bed. 

“Goodnight.” She murmured something and he waved her off, walking out of the bedroom and closing the door. He stumbled down the hall to his bedroom, falling down onto the bed and wrapping his arms around Hotdog. “I have a crush on a really,  _ really  _ pretty girl.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for posting so late lmao. I completely forgot it was Sunday. I will try my hardest to post the next chapter sooner in the day next time. All of your comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!! I hope you all enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty snoops, but at the same time manages to make Jughead’s heart race

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Betty woke up with a whine and groan, rubbing at her forehead. She sat up and blinked, frowning at the way the light made her head pound even through the closed curtains. She fell back down on the bed, pulling the comforter over her head. She had to give herself one thing - she knew where she was and that mattered. She also knows that she flirted with the hot guy who lives here and managed to make a fool out of herself by getting drunk. 

She sat up with another more hushed groan, rubbing her temples for a moment. “Oh, my God.” She said it as she whined, falling back into the bed again. 

Betty went through the same routine multiple times for another twenty minutes until she was able to drag herself out of bed without wanting to crawl under the covers and never come out. She walked into the bathroom, or more so dragged herself into the bathroom, as she moped and cringed at herself in the mirror. 

Mascara was smudged under her eyes and her hair was a tousled mess. Her dress was basically sliding off her shoulders and she wondered why she couldn’t spare the three minutes it would have taken to change. 

With a sigh, she turned around to the shower, turning it on slowly so as to not wake anyone. Even if it obviously was late morning, she had no clue when this man woke up or even if she was supposed to be using the shower. He had said that his space was also hers and this technically  _ was  _ his space, so she was allowed to use it, right? 

After contemplating the dumb thought for too long, she had managed to get herself into the shower but used her own toiletries she had brought. She felt it was rude to be using the items he was providing her, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. Maybe she was just unnecessarily paranoid. 

She got changed quickly, but she took a moment to glance between dresses. She also took a moment to contemplate why she  _ only  _ brought dresses. How had she managed to not bring a single article of clothing that didn’t cover her legs that weren’t her sleep or running shorts, and she was not about to wear those anywhere if she didn’t absolutely need to. 

The sun outside shined through the window as she brushed her hair and glanced around. The roads were pretty much empty, and there were little to no houses anywhere. Corn fields and woods surrounded most of the place and it made her feel slightly unnerved. But, she reminded herself, if he wanted to kill you, he most likely would have done it by now. Or maybe he was saving her for some crazed event that was coming up. 

“Are you stupid?” She huffed as she spoke out loud, rolling her eyes. He was way too nervous and messy to be a killer - hopefully. 

She forced the ideas to the back of her mind, brushing her teeth and doing light makeup for the day. Really, it made no sense to do so, he had already watched her cry but she had to at least attempt to make a better first impression. Or she had to at least beat the one she had given last night because that was not how she wanted him to remember her when she leaves. If she was lucky and she was able to get him to forget about it, she may just have a shot with him. 

Within another fifteen minutes she was ready and took in a deep breath, opening the bedroom door. She raised her eyebrow at the silence, questioning whether she should call out his name or not. Would that be weird? The girl you let in the night before then explained a heart wrenching story to calling out your name the next morning? 

She shook the thought away, like she had with many others that morning, walking down the hall and turning a corner. His bedroom. It was simple;  _ very  _ simple. He had a plain platform bed frame with a simple grey upholstered headboard. He had dark grey sheets to match, his pillows thrown blankly at the top of the bed and his royal blue comforter was strewn across the bed. It was almost bunched up in the middle like he had tossed and turned in one position all night. The walls were also painted a deep, brooding grey and it darkened the room greatly. Thankfully the curtains were open or else it would be almost pitch black in the room. 

To accompany the bed he also had two black metal nightstands on each side. One was filled with different books and writing utensils, a lamp sitting on the top with an alarm clock. On the other sat another lamp, but there was also a half drinken cup of water, the shelf under it filled with even more books. There was a bin sitting on the bottom of it and she questioned whether she should look inside of it or not. She knew it was wrong, terribly so, and it was an invasion of his privacy. Allowing herself to keep her dignity, she decided against doing so. It was only right.

She turned away from his bed, glancing at the fireplace. It was empty besides old wood that sat inside of it and the metal screen that sat just outside of it. _At least he was safe about it_ , she thought silently. 

The mantle was empty besides a few pictures of a young girl, most likely his sister who had passed, some of them with the two of them rather than just her. He had a small desk sitting against one wall, more papers thrown about along with a typewriter. He really didn’t use the internet. She scoffed a little bit, pulling her hand back quickly as she walked over to the said desk and fought not to touch anything. Again, it was wrong and rude. 

A bookcase sat against the other wall behind her, even more books lining each shelf. She let out a sigh, shaking her head. _How can one person read so much?_ The thought lingered as she ran her hands over the shelves, tugging them away yet again. 

_Why am I getting a sudden need to snoop?_ She stepped back quickly before she could disturb anything else, leaving the room while twisting her fingers. She walked downstairs and ignored the other bedrooms, walking into the living room. It was empty, no Jughead insight, only the cat sitting in the window sill. “Nice. Abandon me in a house I have no fucking clue about.” She dropped her hands at her sides, scoffing. 

She ran her hands over the table in the hall that the phone sat on, glancing at it for a long moment before shaking her head. Kevin could wait. Once she moved inside the dining room and still found it empty, she tried to crane her head to look out the windows but saw nothing. Next she moved into the kitchen, passing through a small pantry before. 

The kitchen was pretty much spotless if you looked past the few plates and cups in the sink along with some silverware. The fridge was huge and took up most of the kitchen and she was surprised to see it fully stocked. It was a rare occurrence in any man's house she had ever been to. They all had also been naive, young, college grad students. She huffed as she sank down in the small table in the corner of the kitchen, her eyes narrowing at the drawers on one of the shelves in the pantry. 

~

“Ah, last night was nothing, huh?” Jughead rubbed Hotdog’s head, letting all of the dogs run forward towards the house. He took in the last drag of his cigarette, dropping it in the mud and stomping on it. He walked forward and up onto the porch, wiping his hands on his jeans before pulling the door open. He raised an eyebrow at Bailey, Scout, and Hotdog at his feet, waving his hand forward. When they didn’t budge and Hotdog lied down, he shrugged, walking inside. 

He froze at Betty digging through a drawer, flipping through a photo album he had. He watched her for a moment and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and feet before clearing his throat. She yelped, slamming the album closed. 

“I am so sorry.” She shoved it back into the drawer, closing it before standing up, clenching and unclenching her fists repeatedly as she blabbed. “Oh, my God! I shouldn't have done it in the first place because it is  _ so  _ wrong and it was - no,  _ is  _ \- none of my business and I’ve known you for, like, 18 hours which isn’t long  _ at all.  _ I have no right to be snooping around in your stuff but I kind of just sp-spazzed and I found your bedroom, too. I was able to control myself in there but-but here, I have no damn clue what happened.” He walked past her and into the kitchen, but he could feel her following him hot on his heels. 

“I am  _ so sorry.  _ Y-You can exile me to wherever you want me to go o-or I can leave because this was  _ so  _ wrong. I have no idea what happened to me, I am never like this, like e _ ver.  _ I don’t snoop in peoples shit because, obviously, it’s not my shit to be looking through.” She chuckled nervously, pausing a few feet away from him as he got a glass of water. “I’m not some crazy stalker bitch who goes through people’s things, because as I said before, I  _ don’t  _ do this and I would really like to know where the need to do that came from because -  _ God,  _ you probably  _ hate _ me!” 

He stayed quiet as she rolled her eyes and took in a deep breath, stepping over to the sink. She followed him, now only a foot away from him. “Really, I apologize for what I did. I-I don’t know where it came from, seriously. I… I’m sorry and if you want me gone I’m sure I can get my friend to come get me in, like, no time and I can leave you alone while… while we wait. I can-I can go pack now, actually, if you want me to.” She swallowed thickly, biting her lip as she looked up at him with wide eyes. 

She sucked in a breath as he ignored her for a moment, washing his hands in the sink. “You let me into your home, which you one hundred percent did not have to do, and I so rudely went through your stuff like it was something I was entitled to. It was so wrong and I-I feel so stupid for doing it, I knew I shouldn’t have and that little voice in the back of my mind was telling me not to but,” She let out a small, clipped, nervous laugh, gulping again. “I did it anyway. It was terrible of me to do and…” He glanced over at her and she looked away, letting out a quick exhale. “I’m going to shut up now.” 

Jughead dried his hands, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms and ankles again. “You know, I have an idea of who you are, but I don’t think I ever expected you to… go through my belongings.” Her eyes moved up to his momentarily before they fell again, Betty starting to twist her hands. “But, I left you alone without… with nothing telling you where I was, and you’re in a new space you know nothing about. Am I upset about what you did? A little bit, but you saw nothing… that twenty, maybe even thirty doctors haven’t seen before. It’s all just random progression pictures I was advised to keep together.” 

“I-I’m still sorry, it… it was wrong,  _ really _ wrong. And I swear, I never do that. I… everyone deserves privacy and I respect that, but I have no clue what happened there  _ at all. _ ” She sighed and he nodded. 

“You’re fine. It’s okay. I should have left something saying I was outside so you at least knew where I was. But, um… nothing was damaged from last night and the phone works. If you want to call someone, if you want to go, that’s okay. I can take you wherever you need to go.” She nodded, her face falling a tiny amount and Jughead had almost barely caught the change in her emotion. “O-Or you can stay here. I’m fine with it, the company's nice. As long as you promise not to go through anymore of my stuff.” 

She laughed a little, nodding. “Yeah, I promise.” She sighed, watching her hands. 

“Are you hungry? I can make us something for lunch?” 

Her eyes widened and narrowed, her brows furrowed. “Lunch?” 

“Yeah, it’s almost 12:30 in the afternoon.”

Her eyes widened again and he chuckled, Betty letting out an exasperated sigh. “Th-This is not me. I wake up at 5 am everyday, I go for a run at 7, I-I’m ready for the day by 9. I don’t… I - this is not me, I swear. I am  _ so  _ organized with everything I do. Like,  _ everything.  _ Well, mostly. This… this was obviously not organized because nobody plans on their car breaking down and having to walk, like, four miles to a…” She glanced up at him momentarily, his eyes locked intently on her as he listened. “A-A h-house. It’s not something you plan.” 

“Definitely not.” She gave him a small smile and he pushed himself off the counter. “Uh, lunch. I have no clue what you eat so, um, I can make sandwiches? I-I don’t eat lunch, or at least I haven’t eaten lunch since high school.” He sat down across from her and shook his head. “I just kinda snack all day, which isn’t healthy, I know, it’s just kind of easy.”

“Well, I usually eat a salad or I don’t eat. It’s kind of worthless, because breakfast is much more important. But, I didn’t eat breakfast.” She frowned and he hissed his teeth silently. 

“You… I suck at making food and I have a lot of it, I just have no clue what to do with it. So, um, I’m going to let you figure out what you want to do. I’m going to go back outside with the dogs and check on the rest of the animals.” He stood up with a nod, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked away. 

“I can help you.” He paused, turning around. “W-With different things. Like, um, cooking. If you wanted to know how to… make something, I could try and teach you. Or if you need help with whatever you’re doing, I-I can do that, too. Or I can clean the house if it needs to be cleaned.” 

“I-I’m not going to make you do anything here. You can do whatever you want, I don’t mind. I mean snooping aside.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. He chuckled a little, giving her a playful smile. “You do not have to work to stay here, that’s not how this works. And plus, your shoes… you can’t do shit in those.” 

She laughed a little, standing up with a smile. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He nodded and smiled, walking forward with hope to get back outside but pausing just before he got to the door. 

“Th-The cooking. You’d do that?” She gave him a slow nod and he weighed the idea for a moment. He didn’t know her really at all, but the thought of her making him dinner or her just teaching him how to do something for himself made him giddy. “Um, do you think you could think of something to show me tonight?” 

Her smile brightened and he felt his heart flutter in his chest when she clapped her hands excitedly. “Yes, I can do that.” 

He nodded, tapping the wall. “Okay, cool.” He cut himself off, giving her another nod and his own smile, letting out a long, slow exhale once he was outside, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach. Little did he know Betty was doing much the same inside, trying to slow her racing heart.

~

“Ah!” Jughead put his hands up in the air, a towel gripped tightly in one of them. “Ah-ha! I did it!” He laughed and Betty smiled proudly at him. 

“You haven’t tasted it yet.” 

He frowned, scoffing. “Way to ruin it.” He smiled playfully at her, getting her bright smile back. 

“Well?” He furrowed his brows and she rolled her eyes. “Every chef tastes their food.” 

“Oh, so now I’m a chef?” She nodded while fighting a smile, Jughead chuckling. “Okay, fine.” He ate a bite of the pasta, raising his eyebrows. “I think I did a pretty great job, honestly. It probably put yours to shame.” She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“It’s that good? On your first try?” 

He shook his head, dropping his spoon. “Eh, no. It tastes horrible.” She laughed and he did the same, the two of them grinning at each other. “I think that was the worst thing I have ever eaten before.” 

“There’s no way it’s  _ that  _ bad.” 

He raised an eyebrow at her, Betty cocking her head to the side. “You wanna bet? Eat it then.” 

“No!” She squealed and laughed as he passed her a spoonful, swatting it away with her hands. 

“See?” He laughed himself, both of them grinning. “You’re admitting it’s bad and you haven't even eaten it!” She laughed again, the spoonful falling to the ground. 

“Now you made a mess.” He shrugged, the towel he had in his hand dropping to the floor. “You better get a new one,” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He swatted her off, Betty hiding her smile as she bit her lip. “What?” He laughed a little as he cleaned the mess, turning to drop it on the counter before spinning back to face her. They were close now, maybe only a few inches apart at most, and his heart began to race like it had earlier that day. His eyes flickered from her lips to her eyes for a moment, Betty’s doing the same. “Thanks for doing this. It was…” He cut himself off, Betty’s eyes meeting his again.

She took in a deep breath, nodding as she bit her lip tightly. “We, um, we should…” Her eyes dropped to his lips again and her heart started to pound in her ears. “We-We should go to sleep.” 

“Yeah,” He cleared his throat as he stepped back, rubbing the back of his neck. “Goodnight.” 

She gave him a flushed smile, hurrying from the room. Jughead turned and gripped the counter, squeezing his eyes shut as he dropped his head between his shoulders. “Fuck.” He let out a slow sigh, shaking his head as he regained his composure. They knew each other for a little over a day and he’s already trying this. Who the hell does he think he is? 

He shook his head, rolling his eyes as he walked through the dining room to get to the hall. He picked up the phone and dialed Archie’s number, rubbing a hand over his face as he walked to the living room. 

“Dude,” Archie’s words were almost excited and Jughead could hear the bar in the background. “Are you okay? Did that storm do anything? I can be out there in the next week-”

“Archie, I-I’m fine.” Jughead sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I have a lot to explain though. A lot.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda forgot it was Sunday... again. so sorry for the kinda terrible posting schedule. i will try to do better next week lmao i swear


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A walk, a talk and, well, mixed and confused feelings - but they’re mutual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Jughead watched the night fade into day, forcing himself out of bed when there was a knock on his bedroom door just as the sun was starting to come up. He didn’t want to face her, not really. He couldn’t decide if his feelings for her were into this much overdrive because she was the only woman he had seen in years, or if it was because they were actually that strong. His talk with Archie hadn’t done anything besides show him he wanted her that much more. 

He opened the door and put on a smile, not paying attention to what she was wearing. It seemed almost as if she had completely forgotten about the night before and now he couldn’t focus on whether he was grateful for that, or if he wanted to have her against his bedroom wall like he was a disgusting pig. 

“Um, I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” He shook his head, leaning against the door frame. “I was just wondering if there was a trail or something I could run on. I would run on the road but I feel like if I did that… I’m not sure. I just never run on roads.” 

“Um, there’s a trail about… a few yards…” He sighed, standing up straight. “Why don’t I take you? We can take the dogs, I walk them on it all the time. Just give me five minutes?”

She gave him a bright smile, nodding. “Okay, I’ll be downstairs.” 

He nodded and closed his bedroom door, shaking his head and sighing. 

~

“You know, I haven’t seen all the dogs until now.” Jughead gave her a look of shock, furrowing his brows.

“You’re serious?” She gave him a nod and he chuckled. “Well, you and Hotdog seem to be together a lot. Then you got Bailey, she is constantly up my ass but I love her. She’s their mom and Hotdog and Scout are her babies.” 

Betty gasped, her eyes excited. “Really?” 

“Mm-hm. They’re the ones that survived out of the litter.” He wrapped the two leashes he had more tightly around his wrist, Betty and Hotdog walking at a fast pace beside each other. “Um, last night-”

“Let's not talk about it,” She gave him a smile, walking further in front of him at an even quicker pace than before. 

He stopped momentarily, letting her get a few meters ahead of him as he sighed. “I fucked this up.” He muttered the words under his breath, pursuing forward. 

~

Betty sat in her bedroom for the rest of the day, trying to ignore Jughead for no good reason. Two days. She had known this man for two days yet she wanted him like she had known him for a lifetime. She craved him for some reason that she just couldn’t explain. She wanted him, and needed him, but she didn’t know how to vocalize this need to him because, well, she had known him for two days. 

She sat up off of the bed with a huff, walking down the stairs quickly but being quiet enough to not wake him as he slept on the couch. He had a deep frown on his face as if he was deep in thought and it made her wonder, was that because of her? 

With another sigh, she snuck back upstairs with the phone held tightly in her grasp, basically locking herself in there before dialing Kevin’s number in a flash. He picked up on the first ring.

“You know, I was about to drive to the NYPD, Elizabeth Cooper. That was reckless and dangerous of you to not call me last night or this morning. I was worried sick about you, B.” Kevin’s words sounded breathless as he tried to get them out in a singular breath.

Betty sighed, lying down on the bed. “I’m okay. I’m all okay, promise.”  
  


“I can get there first thing tomorrow morning-” 

“No.” She partially shocked herself as the word fell from her mouth without a thought. “Don’t.” 

Kevin scoffed, letting out a small chuckle. “Betty, I’m sorry?”

“Don’t… I don’t want you to come.” 

“What? It’s supposed to be our time together, Betty.” He sounded disappointed. Not over the fact that she was in a random house with a random guy, but because he wasn’t able to see her and Betty understood that. She had promised him a week of just them because it had been years since it was just them.

She sat up, staring out the window as she did so. “Kev, I kind of like it here, you know? It’s quiet and he’s really nice, like really nice even after I went through shit I wasn’t even supposed to see.” 

“You looked through his stuff?” His voice was high pitched seeing as he was shocked by her words. He knew that wasn’t something she did on a daily basis. 

“I-I don’t know what happened. But, all that aside, he didn’t yell or anything. He just told me he was upset and that it was rude, but then we just started laughing and talking. It’s easy with him. And I don’t know if it’s because I don’t know him so I’m still… showing him who I am and I still have the ability to hide the dark spots, but I like it. Whatever it is, I’m happy. Like tonight, I-I couldn’t stop smiling.” Kevin laughed and she huffed. “Kev. I’m serious!” She laughed herself, shaking her head. 

“You’re on a-a what? A farm and you're happy? Where’s the Betty who hated getting dirty and hated mud? What’d you do with my city Betty?” 

“Hey, just because I like it here, does not mean I want to get dirty. I just… I want to have a chance to form a friendship with him or something. You’d really like him, Kev.” 

He let out a short sigh. “Just because you’re happy, fine. But two days? Is that all it takes for you to fall for someone?” 

“You don’t even understand what he looked like when he opened the door, Kevin.” He squealed and she instantly knew he was hooked. 

“Tell me more!” Betty giggled, sitting back against the headboard as she prepared to explain the last 48 hours to him. 

~

Jughead woke up feeling unrested, groaning at the stiffness in his back. He sat up in his spot on the couch, rubbing his eyes as he swung his legs around to set them on the ground. “God,” He stretched a little, rolling his shoulders back before shutting off the TV with a yawn. As soon as he stood Bailey was at his feet and he chuckled, shaking his head. He walked upstairs and he saw the light coming from under Betty’s bedroom door. 

He frowned a little bit as he stared at the wood blankly. He hadn't seen her all day besides the walk they had taken this morning and even then she stayed at least five feet away from him the whole time. He understood that he probably made her feel uncomfortable by the way he looked at her. It was wrong to do and he shouldn’t have even thought about it in the first place. 

Her laugh hit him after a moment later and he furrowed his brows. She said Kevin like she had when she first got here and he knew instantly she had the phone. Good, he thought. She’s keeping in touch. Then an awkward wave of sadness washed over him. 

She was leaving. She was most definitely going to leave. She wasn’t going to stay here forever and he’s not going to force her to stay here forever. How after only two days did she already have him not wanting her to leave? Whenever anyone else stays, he wants them out just hours after they arrive. 

It was stupid, this feeling. He had never felt something like this before with anyone and he secretly hated that she had to be the first. Why did a woman, one he didn’t know, have to show up on his doorstep needing a place to stay? Why did he have to tell her the whole story of the one thing very few people actually knew? Why is he finding domesticity in someone he still barely knew?

The thoughts and questions ate him alive that night as he slept restlessly. It was all just a stupid crush that would go away. There’s no way he actually has feelings for someone he just met, right? That’s insane, that never happens… not to him at least. He had never fallen for someone this quickly before, not even the women he had slept with a few times. They never made him feel like this. 

~

He woke up early that morning and he tossed and turned for a few hours until he finally forced himself out of the bed and into the shower, giving himself even more time to overthink something so ridiculous he couldn’t even actually fully think about it. 

His brain was basically throbbing when he finally walked downstairs around 9 am, Betty making omelettes. “Hi.” She said brightly and it only made him feel even more absurd for overthinking an event from days ago. “Um, I don’t really know what you eat, but it’s just a normal omelette. Kind of like one you would get at a diner. It’s probably not as good but it’s okay, I think. I just thought that you should eat something other than cereal for breakfast.” 

Her smile was a little smaller but it was still there as she set the plate down in front of him at the table. She was trying to make her leaving put an actual hole in his chest. “Thank you, you didn’t have to do this at all.”

“No, no. It was my thank you for letting me stay with you.” A sudden lump grew in his throat and his stomach felt like a pound of bricks, the bite of food he had just ate settling in his throat and making him want to gag. So she was leaving. 

“Uh, y-you’re leaving?” She opened her mouth to speak, closing it again quickly.

She stuttered over words for a moment, sighing as she sat down in a chair across from him. “I-I’m not… sure. I should because, um, this is your home and I’ve way overstayed my stay. So… I-I should be leaving but, if it’s okay with you, I want to stay for a little while.” The lump was still in his throat but his stomach seemed to lose some of the weight it held at first. She wanted to stay. She wanted to be here, with him, for longer than she has to be. “I-It wouldn’t be long, maybe a week or two? It’s just… it’s gorgeous here and the trail is really nice in the morning. You can say no, I completely understand. This-This is all up to you, I’ll just go along with whatever you say. And if you need me to work while I stay, I’ll work! I’ve never done anything with animals that you have, but I’ll learn, I swear. It can’t be that hard.” 

He swallowed, setting the fork he hadn’t realized he was holding down on the table. She watched with hopeful eyes, her lip drawn tightly between her teeth as her foot tapped under the table. “Um, okay.” Her eyes widened, the nervousness gone from her features. 

“O-Okay? Really? Y-You’re fine with me staying? Really, it’s no problem if you want me to leave, I understand.” 

“You can stay, it’s fine. And you don’t have to work, you can just stay.” He ate another bite of his omelette and her large smile was back. 

“Okay, cool, thank you!” She clapped her hands excitedly and he nodded, eating with a new weightless feeling.

~

The day went by quickly, Jughead feeling weirdly grounded with the thought of her staying fresh on his mind. He had gone to work outside after he ate, not coming back in until the sun was starting to go down. He had come in to food on the table and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the gesture. 

They had started a light conversation as they ate, Jughead finding out that she grew up in New York City with her mom and would travel to LA to be with her dad during the summer. He had explained to her he grew up in Toledo his whole life, not once moving anywhere besides to New York for college and then here to hide. 

The conversation afterwards stayed light, Betty bidding him a goodnight after they watched a small amount of TV for an hour or so. He had given her a nod and watched her walk away, cursing himself as he moved to the phone. He dialed Archie’s number slowly, walking back to the couch as it rang. 

“You know, this ruins my sex life.” He scoffed and rolled his eyes at his friends' words, mentally telling himself Archie is dramatic. “I don’t think Veronica enjoys our fun being interrupted by your call.” 

“You’re the one who forces me to call every night.” He heard Archie’s huff then a door close. 

“How’s you and your belle going?”

“She is not my belle.” Jughead furrowed his brows at his words.

“Okay, your muse.” 

Jughead scoffed and shook his head. “She’s not my muse. She’s not my anything. She is a woman who is staying with me-”

Archie cut him off, saying, “Whom you’ve fallen in love with.” as matter-of-factly as he could. Jughead frowned, rolling his eyes. “You at least know stuff about her right? Like, she’s not crazy?”

“Betty is not crazy.” 

“Ooh, there’s a name!” Archie said it mockingly and Jughead instantly knew he put himself into a pit of relentless teasing. 

~

When Jughead woke up the next day Betty was just coming back in from a run. He walked into the kitchen anxiously, rubbing the back of his neck seeing as it was his go-to nervous tick. He wondered partially if she was beginning to pick up on it. 

“Sorry for no breakfast.” She said it breathlessly as she tightened her ponytail and he averted his eyes, focusing on finding the milk in the fridge even if it was right in front of him. “I didn’t expect you to wake up so early.” 

“I had trouble falling asleep last night.” She frowned as he finally closed the fridge and pulled out the milk. “But I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?” 

“Yes, one hundred percent.” He gave her his best smile and she gave him a smaller, more dull one. “I mean it, you don’t have to worry.” She sighed and nodded, turning from the kitchen. He waited until he heard her bedroom door shut before he fell into a chair, threading his fingers through his hair as he groaned. “God, you’re acting like you’re sixteen.” 

He ate his cereal in silence while mentally beating himself up over all the thoughts and images in his head that shouldn’t be there. When he finished, he cleaned the dishes with a shake of his head as he cursed himself out loud, mummering the words as if Archie was there and giving him crap. After, he walked outside with the dogs hot on his heels, ready to get the day over with. 

But a moment later he walked inside, pulling a notepad and pen out of a drawer in the kitchen. He wrote a quick note to Betty that he would be in the horse stables if she needed him. Once it was finished, he placed it on the table, putting the notepad and pen away before going to do the work he needed to do.

~

Jughead was closing the last stable and rubbed his hand over the horses nose when he heard Betty knock on the side of the wall. His head turned and he felt his mouth run partially dry. She wasn’t in anything special, it was a short blue dress with small white daisies over it. It was off the shoulder and her hair was down in small waves on her shoulders, the top half pulled up in a small ponytail. She had the light make up she had on everyday, along with her sandals she always wore. 

“Hi,” She sighed the word out, walking over to him slowly. “Um, I got bored inside so I… came out here. If that’s okay?”

Jughead scoffed, furrowing his brows as he looked at her. “Why wouldn’t it be okay?” She shrugged, rubbing one of the horse's noses. “T-That’s Chestnut.” 

“Ooh, very original.” She smiled over at him, starting to twist her hands. 

He chuckled rubbing the back of his neck for what felt like the thousandth time. “Y-You can ride her,” She raised an eyebrow at him and he clenched his jaw, crossing his arms. “If-If you want. She’s one of the calmest horses I have.” 

She bit her lip and looked between him and the horse for a moment. “I-I’ve never rode one before.” 

“I can help you, if you want, but you’d have to change into pants and probably boots. Or you could wear shorts, it’s just not going to be as comfortable as pants.” 

“I don’t have any pants or boots and I’m sure you don’t have any that would fit me.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, she’s - it’s a she right?”

“Yes, it’s a she.” He smiled at her, leaning against the stall wall.

“Um, well, as I was saying, she’s adorable but I am obviously not suited to ride a horse right now.” She laughed a little and he did the same. “But some other time if, um… some other time.” 

“I’ll be here.” He let out an awkward chuckle, the two of them falling silent. The air between them was bated and heavy, each of them looking to each other before glancing away childishly. 

“I-I’m going to be inside making lunch.”

“You don’t-”

“I want to. Come in whenever.” She gave him a smile before walking away, Jughead rolled his eyes before cursing under his breath.

He couldn’t tell if cooking or baking or if taking care of people was her reaction when she was nervous or uncomfortable, or if she felt like she had to take care of him. He didn’t need her running around trying to feed him or clean his house for him. He didn’t need it, he was capable of doing it himself. But maybe she just enjoyed doing those things and she wanted to help him. He hoped she enjoyed it and hoped he wasn’t putting unnecessary stress on her.

~

Betty stood at the stove as she fixed the food, wondering what she had felt just a few hours earlier in the barn meant. She just couldn’t make eye contact with him. Every time she held it for more than a quick second her heart began to race and her stomach started to do flips, especially when he would start to smile or smirk. Or when she would catch him smoking a cigarette as he walked up to the house as he called the dogs. Or when he would lift the hem of his shirt, wiping it over his face to clean his sweat and dirt away. 

She let out a sigh as she gripped the edge of the counter, taking in a long deep breath after. She stood straight a moment later, turning off the stove before smoothing a hand over her stomach. She plated the food with another sigh and a shake of her head, setting each plate in front of chairs at the table. She thought about calling out his name to get his attention in order to get him to come downstairs for dinner, but then thought against it. It could startle him.

So, she left the kitchen and walked upstairs and over to his bedroom. She knocked on the door carefully, sucking in a sharp breath. “Come in.” 

She pushed open the door and Betty felt her stomach automatically flip, her brain becoming hazy in a second. Seeing him shirtless should not make her feel like this. She held her own hands as they began to tremble and forced her eyes to look away from where his sweatpants were sitting low on his hips. Her heart was racing and she wondered if he could hear it from where he was picking his towel up off the ground.

“Are you okay?” He raised an eyebrow at her before turning around, hanging his towel on the back of the bathroom door. Her eyes followed a droplet of water drip down from his hair and trail down his back, her breath coming out in a quick, silent gasp. “Betty.”

“I’m fine.” She clenched her jaw when he turned back around, dropping her eyes to the floor. “Um, d-dinner is ready. It’s… it’s downstairs.” She could almost feel his nod rather than see it, sucking in a sharp breath as he brushed past her as he left the room. 

Goosebumps rose on her skin, at his brief touch and she eyed the t-shirt he had left sitting on the bed. He was evidently going to put it on before she had come up here, so why hadn’t he before he left? Did he catch her staring? Did he see the effect he had on her? 

She took a few moments to clutch her chest until her heart calmed, collecting herself before she slowly and carefully walked downstairs. When she got to the kitchen Jughead was eating like nothing had happened and the thought that he had seen her was crushed. She secretly thanked God for that.

“Hey, um,” He wiped his mouth with a napkin, setting his fork down. “I’m going into town tomorrow for groceries and there’s some annual farmers market thing happening. I mean, I’ve never been because I don’t understand those things at all but if you want to go, we can. Or if you just want to come to town and walk around while I’m there, we - you - can do that. It’s no problem.” Betty nodded along, sitting down in the seat across from him with a small smile. “A-And there’s service there so…” He chuckled, showing he was done trying to explain everything.

“Th-That would be nice. The town and the farmers market.” She could feel her cheeks get hot as he gave her a smile and a nod.

“Okay, it’s a date.” Her eyes came up from her plate as he winced playfully, squeezing his eyes shut briefly. “I-I didn’t mean it like that. Just… oh, my God.” Betty laughed a little, Jughead chuckling. 

“I know what you mean.” He nodded again before both of them laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t forget, just posted late. Sorry y’all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty introduces Jughead to a “secretive” part of her dainty world: her enjoyment for farmers markets. They spend the day together and each of them feel something deep inside of them click. But by the end, Betty’s not so sure how she feels anymore and Jughead is in the same boat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Jughead rubbed Scout’s head as he waited for Betty, flipping his truck keys in his pocket. “Sorry!” Her little yell from upstairs drew his eyes to the stairs, Betty walking down them quickly. “I’m ready.” His eyes ran over her, a small smirk showing up on his face. “What?” She looked down at her dress, trying to see what he was smiling at. 

“Nothing.” She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed. “Just, do you wear anything other than dresses?” She scoffed, shoving his shoulder. He laughed, following her out the door. She crossed her arms as he locked it, holding her nose in the air sassily when he turned to look at her. “You gonna tell me?”

“I do, I just didn’t plan for this to happen.” He raised an eyebrow at her, trying his hardest to keep his cool. If he dipped his head less than three inches, they would be kissing and it made his heart pound. 

“So, if you planned this,” He lowered his voice, leaning forward just a little bit. “You would be wearing something different?” He smirked as her lips parted partially before she bit her bottom lip like she always did. 

She swallowed, standing a little straighter. “Maybe I would be.” His nostrils flared and it was his turn to straighten his stance. 

He gave her a barely noticeable nod, licking his lips as he walked away. She stood for a moment, frozen to her spot on the porch before she hurried to catch up to him. He held the door open for her to the truck, shutting it once she was fully seated. 

She examined the truck, settling in. “Do you not like new things? Are you that person that’s constantly like ‘I was born in the wrong generation’ and you have something against people who use modern technology?” He raised an eyebrow at her and she gasped. “That was mean, I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t and no, I am not one of those people. I’m the person who knows if I don’t need it, I’m not going to get it.” 

She nodded, watching him start the car. “Mm, so you’re stingy?” 

“No.” He laughed and Betty giggled, smiling over at him. “I don’t waste my money on dumb shit. Like my truck. It runs perfectly fine so why should I waste thousands of dollars on a brand new truck I don’t need?” 

She weighed the idea before leaning over to him, whispering, “Stingy.” 

“I am not stingy. I would gladly give up money, I just don’t waste money on myself.” 

“Mm, okay.” She nodded, sitting straighter in her seat before turning towards him. “Do you prefer the word frugal then?” 

“You’re a pain.” She hummed, Jughead shaking his head as he sucked his teeth with a smirk. 

The rest of the drive into the town was silent but it was comfortable. Betty was watching out the window carefully, Jughead glancing over at her every few minutes to make sure she was okay. When they had gotten to town he half expected her to jump out of the truck and run, ready to be away from him and out of his proximity. But she stayed, waiting until he parked the truck and he opened the door for her. 

“Um, y-you’re free to go. Just be back here by noon and we can go to the farmers market or back to… the house.” 

She looked around herself for a moment before she glanced back up to him. “Can I just stay with you?”

He kept the shock off his face, pocketing his keys before he shoved his hands in his pockets as well. “Yeah, sure. I-I don’t mind.” She nodded, placing herself at his side.

They walked around the town for most of the morning, getting groceries and supplies Jughead needed. Betty had also invested in a pair of leggings and boots for the specific reason of Jughead teaching her how to ride a horse. He promised that he would do so the next day. 

After he had gotten everything they got into the truck, they drove to the farmers market, Betty saying it would be a nice first experience for him. He laughed over how she talked about it like it was his first time being drunk and he would totally regret it, but all he got was a scoff and laugh in return, as well as a shove to his shoulder when he had parked the truck. 

“You’ve seriously never been to one of these?” 

He looked over at her, chuckling. “No. And just because I have a few horses does not mean I go to this stuff or do these types of things.” 

She smiled up at him, scrunching her nose up. “I think now you have to say you do.” 

He rolled his eyes, scoffing. They walked around the place, Betty buying extra fruit and vegetables, telling him he needed the full experience and in order to do that, he had to buy at least one thing. He listened and bought a singular apple, Betty giving him a frown. She proceeded to give him a lecture on how he needed to buy multiple things and he just laughed about how she continued to change her mind. 

They went on like that for almost two hours, Betty having him eat samples of things he never thought he would have ever heard of if it wasn’t for her. The look of the two of them, feeding each other and laughing when they cringed, walking side by side and grinning ear to ear after almost everything they would say, you would think they had been married for years. The domesticity of everything was so surreal and it made Jughead queasy. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face either and his cheeks were starting to hurt. 

He couldn’t tell if she felt the same, if her heart was racing or if she could feel her own stomach doing flips constantly over and over. But everytime their hands would just slightly brush against the others her eyes would find his with a blush on her cheeks and a shimmer in her eyes that hinted at a smile. 

He felt stupid for being afraid to hold her hand. It felt like seventh grade again when he watched Archie and Veronica start falling in love and holding hands like it was nothing. But Archie had been afraid, he was scared to hold her hand at first, too. So maybe that fear was normal, maybe it was something everyone felt when they knew the person was going to be more than just a person you meet in a bar. More than just someone who is going to be a one night stand. More than someone that will show up, then disappear to never be seen again.

They walked in silence side by side to the truck when they had seen enough of the farmers market, the silence from earlier in the day back. After they had driven for some time, Jughead broke it. 

“You know what,” He glanced over at her and she raised her eyebrow. “I’m going to make dinner tonight.” 

She laughed, smiling wide. “Oh really? And what are you going to make?” 

“It’s a surprise.” She raised her eyebrows, nodding. 

“Okay then.” She watched him carefully, waiting until they were at a stoplight and Jughead was watching her to talk again. “Then I am ready to be surprised.” 

~

Betty pulled her, well his, sweatshirt tighter around herself, sighing as she watched out the window. He made her heart race and she was beginning to think that this wasn’t just a coincidence. She was starting to believe that what she felt was real. But could you say that after five days? Could you say that you’re falling in love with someone after only knowing them for five days? 

Is this love at first sight? Is this that feeling? That love, compassion, familiarity, the want that they describe? Is this why she wants to know everything about him and wants to see what he’s like at his worst and his best? Is this why her heart races everytime he laughs or smiles or how today, at the farmers market, she wanted to do that all day everyday with him until the day she dies? 

She huffed, rolling her eyes. Why were feelings so goddamn complicated? Couldn’t it just be like a simple slap in the face or a note on your arm telling you who you love or who you will love? Why does it have to be one of the most complicated things you go - “Fuck!”

Betty turned around with her brows furrowed, walking into the kitchen. Jughead was holding his hand, hissing through his teeth. “What’d you do?” Her eyes scanned the kitchen, her eyes widening at the bloody knife by the sink. He turned to look at her before flashing her his hand. “Oh, my God. Jug,” He raised an eyebrow at the nickname as she grabbed his hand, inspecting it. “How the hell did that happen?”

“I… I don’t-” He hissed again when she poked at it. “Is-Is-Is it bad?” 

“Yes, but… no. Not hospital bad. Do you have a first aid kit?” He nodded, holding his other hand under his cut one just in case blood dripped from his palm.

“It’s in the cupboard in my bathroom.” He winced inwardly, looking down at the cut.

“Okay, I’m going to get that. Wash your hands with soap and water then sit at the table. Try to squeeze blood out if you can, and try to get it to stop.” She nodded before hurrying off, leaving Jughead to bully himself inside his head. 

She had found the kit easily, getting back downstairs quickly. She pulled a chair up next to him, taking his hand in hers when she sat down. She held it for a moment, shaking her head after a second and tucking her hair behind her ear. “Okay, you washed your hands right?” 

“Yeah, and I got the blood to stop.” She nodded, pulling out a bandage and wrapping it delicately around his hand, pausing for a few seconds when he would wince. She ran her finger lightly over the bandage when she had finished, Jughead watching her with bated breath. Her eyes moved up to his and his hands grabbed both of hers slowly. “Thank you.” 

The words barely came out as a whisper and Betty nodded, her breath slowly starting to come out faster as he started to lean forward. But when they were close enough for him to be able to feel her breath fan over his cheek, the smoke alarm went off and she jumped back. She hurried to get it turned off and he dropped his head to the table and into his arms, holding back a frustrated groan. 

~

“I’m telling you, Kev, we were going to kiss but that damn alarm got in the way.” 

“Five days? That’s all it took?” 

Betty sighed, falling back onto her bed. “A farmers market is all it took.” 

“Oh, my God.” He laughed around the words and Betty frowned even if he couldn’t see her. “You two better be getting married. Betty Cooper plus a farmers market… Goddamn. Have you told him you’ve picked the name of your children out?”

“Kevin!” The rest of their call went by quickly, most of it just Kevin telling Betty how she was head over heels for a man she barely knew. When it was finished she ended the call quickly, leaving her room and walking back downstairs. 

When she had gotten the phone situated and put away, she checked on Jughead who had ended up falling asleep on the couch. She looked over him, brushing a stubborn curl he had off of his forehead. She shook her head as she stepped back from him, pausing when she was trying to walk forward to the kitchen. She jogged upstairs quickly, walking into his bedroom and pulling a throw blanket out of his closet, being careful not to disturb anything. She walked back downstairs and carefully covered him with the blanket, walking to the kitchen like she had originally planned on doing after her phone call. 

Everything was still where it was when he was trying to make dinner from the burnt chicken in the pan to the blood on the cutting board and floor. It made her feel a little queasy looking at it, but knowing he was okay and his hand was bandaged made her feel a little better. She set about cleaning everything up, wanting to forget the mess of what had happened. 

~

Once a week had passed, Jughead’s hand was starting to heal nicely and he was able to begin wearing a much smaller bandage, giving his hand more mobility. And at night they had formed a small routine. 

He would come inside to her making dinner no matter how often he protested that she didn’t have to feel the need to do that, but that he was also thankful she was doing so. After, they would eat in a relative silence, both too afraid to speak for some ungodly reason. Betty would also wash all the dishes when they were finished, telling him he couldn’t do it because of his hand. He would end up leaving the kitchen with a reluctant huff and sigh, going to sit outside on the porch so he could smoke. And later, when things were cleaned up and squared away, she would gently come to redress his wound with such delicacy it made his heart twist. 

But tonight was different. 

When he had come inside, there was no dinner to be found anywhere and neither was Betty. It made him worry slightly. Had she left? Had someone come to pick her up and he just hadn’t noticed? The house was eerily quiet except for the dogs nails scratching on the floor as they found a cool room to lie in and the cat meowing at his feet when she saw him.

He took off his boots and ignored her, placing them by the door as he put his shirt back on. Normally, if it was just him, he would go lie on the couch and think nothing of the silence. But he wasn’t alone anymore and he doesn’t think he has ever heard Betty be this quiet ever. Not even in her sleep she was quiet, she was quite restless actually. Or so he thinks. It’s only based on what he can hear through the freakishly thin walls. 

With a sharp intake of breath he walked upstairs, avoiding the steps that creaked. He walked to her bedroom first, knocking on the door that was already wide open and finding the room empty - her bathroom included. It still looked like she was there. Her toothbrush still sat by the sink and her suitcase was on top of the dresser. But maybe she didn’t care about these things, I mean, they were all replaceable and none looked worthy of much money. So, with that, he left the room and checked the others. All empty. He even checked his even if he wasn’t sure why, but he was still stunned when he hadn’t found her. 

After what had felt like too long, he walked out onto the upstairs balcony at the end of the hall. It wrapped around the back half of the house and he wasn’t shocked to find her asleep in one of the chairs, a book on the ground by her feet as if it had fallen open. He had expected her to do this at least once, she looked like the type who would and he had proven himself to be correct. Even Archie, someone who never reads, had sat in one of the chairs and read for hours. Or at least Jughead thinks, because that’s what his friend had told him anyway. He wasn’t sure how much he believed him on that statement. 

He shook his head and wondered why he hadn’t checked out there sooner. Walking over to her quietly, he squatted down and picked up her book, smirking a little seeing as it was his copy of Beloved. He set it down on a neighboring chair before picking her up bridal-style. He waited until she stopped shifting to walk her inside, taking the lightest steps he could. She had shifted again when he laid her down in her bed carefully, covering her with the blankets. 

~

Betty sat at the dining table eating a bowl of cereal when Jughead walked down that morning. “Good morning.” She gave him a smile, getting up and placing her bowl in the sink. “You fell asleep outside last night,” he said casually. She froze a little bit, swallowing thickly. “With one of my books. You snooping again?” 

“No!” She turned around quickly, clenching her fists when she saw the playful smile on his face. “You’re joking...” 

He gave her a smile and small chuckle, Betty’s cheeks flaming. “I don’t care if you take a book. Take ten. I have so fucking many I would never even notice, honestly.” He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Plus, i-i-it’s a book. I could care less about it.” 

“So you don’t care?” She said the words carefully as if she was holding back.

“No. If I have to, I can just buy a new one.” She gave him a nod, stepping towards him and pulling lightly on his left arm. He showed her his palm and she held it lightly, staring down at it for a moment. After another minute he heard her sniffle and he noticed the tears on her cheeks. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong? Wha-What happened?” 

“No, I’m just…” She shook her head as she wiped at her face, huffing. “I-I don’t know what just happened. I haven’t known what’s happening to me all week! I don’t understand anything anymore and now I just… I kind of just… I don’t know.” She sniffled again, crossing her arms over her body. 

“I can… I can put a new bandage on myself, you don’t have to do it.” She shook her head and grabbed his hand again. His heart stung as he looked down at her. He was hurting her, confusing her all because he was too afraid to man up and just kiss her. He continuously gave her mixed signals, and truthfully, she was giving him some too, but his were actually mentally hurting her.

She changed the bandage slowly and more cautiously than normal. Her touch, though always light, was almost completely faint. He wondered partially if he was imagining this and if this was all a dream. But then her eyes found his for a brief second and he knew she wasn’t a figment of his imagination even if she looked away in a quick second. 

“Um, you know, if you want somewhere to clear your head,” he clenched his jaw when her eyes moved back up to his, her eyes shining in the early morning sun. They were dull but bright from her tears and it made him feel like a total ass. “There’s a spot on the top of the trail. It’s just an open valley type thing, but, um… you’d like it. You can take a book a-and lunch. I’ll be fine here.” 

She watched him, still clutching his hand as if he was holding her to the ground. “You’re sure?” 

“Yeah, and if you want to take Hotdog or something, that’s fine, too.” He gave her a tight-lipped smile and she nodded, dropping his hand. “If you go, just leave a note or something on the table.” He caught her nod as he walked outside, sinking down into a chair. He threaded his hands through his hair and sucked in a deep breath, gritting his teeth. 

He was an idiot. A complete and total bastard. He was hurting her because he can’t fucking grow a pair. God, the amount of money he would pay to just have someone yell at him until he finally does what he needs to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me 🤝 not knowing how to post at a decent time


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confusion takes a full turn for both Betty and Jughead. They feel lost about where they are on the relationship spectrum. Neither of them know what to do or how to pursue their feelings, so things get out of hand and get quite bumpy for some time.
> 
> But, finally, after they each get some things off of their chests, the problems become resolved just for a few moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

“I say just grow up and tell him what you want. You’ve done it with so many other guys before, why is it so different with him?” Kevin said the words like they were nothing and Betty couldn’t believe it. What he was saying was obviously way easier said than done.

“Kev, it’s not that simple.” She sighed, checking around her bedroom before closing the door. “I like him, a lot and I’m afraid that if I do tell him how I feel, I’m going to freak him out and ruin this. We’ve known each other a whole of two weeks and I’m already falling for him like I’ve known him for ten years.” 

“So, what you’re saying is, you’ve caught feelings but you have no clue how to say you’ve caught feelings?” It was more of a statement than it was a question, but she took it as a question. 

“Well, yeah, pretty much. But what if I do actually get the courage to say something and he doesn’t feel the same so I fuck everything up? I can deal with him not feeling the same way, but I don’t want to ruin whatever we built in the process of finding out, you know?” She voiced her fears slowly, Kevin listening carefully. “I just… I don’t want to ruin something that has just become something.” 

He sighed. “Well, you’re going to have to tell him at some point because most guys are dumb and have no damn clue how to take a hint.” Betty giggled, rolling her eyes. 

They talked for a few more minutes before Kevin bidded her goodnight and ended the call. She had gotten off the bed with a huff and walked down stairs as quietly as she could but catching a step that made little too much noise. She winced inwardly, hurrying to put the phone back and turning back up the stairs even when she caught him poking his head around the corner from the dining room. 

“Betty.” She ignored her name and just continued walking, listening to his scoff. “Betty!” She took in a deep breath, walking into her bedroom and closing the door slowly. 

~

Jughead paced around the house as he talked to his friend over the phone. “Archie, I-I have no clue what to do here. She… Betty is… how the hell do I do this?”

“You suck at this whole dating thing.” He frowned at his friends words but agreed silently. It was no use to try and correct him. “Like, dude, she’s in your house. She is willing to stay there in order to make something between you two. She is obviously showing interest because if she wasn’t interested, she would be long gone by now, Jughead. And didn’t you two go to that farmers market thingy?”

“Well, yeah-”

“Then there you go.” Jughead furrowed his brows at Archie’s words in confusion, letting out a confused huff. “Listen, she, in a matter of days, convinced you to go to the one thing your high school self swore you would never go to.”

“What does that have to do with her liking me?” Jughead couldn’t understand anything that his friend was saying to him. “That’s literally just me being a bitch and not being able to voice my feelings.” 

Archie groaned, huffing. “Just her staying there obviously shows that she feels something and she’s struggling to figure it out. That should be a signal enough.”

“Okay,” Jughead sighed, sitting down at the dining table. “So what am I supposed to do? I’m not just going to kiss her and make her uncomfortable, Arch.” 

“That’s not what I’m telling you to do.” Archie sighed and Jughead settled in deeper into the dining room chair. “Look, Jug, maybe just trying talking to her. Try sitting her down and just… talk. Maybe then you can get somewhere and she’ll make a move so your bitch self doesn’t have to.”

“Hey, I’ve made moves before.” 

“It’s not called making a move when you invite her to pick out groceries for you.” Jughead frowned, scoffing. 

“I think it is a very domestic move.” 

“Are you looking for domesticity in her? You got mommy issues now? Is Jughead trying to fill a hole in his tiny little heart?” He said it in a high pitched voice and Jughead cringed. 

“Ew, that’s just nasty.” They both laughed, Jughead shaking his head. “I’m just… if she would rather just be friends, I’m okay with that.” 

“You’re okay with getting friendzoned?” 

“Yes because I’m not a disgusting misogynistic piece of shit. If she doesn’t feel the same way, okay. But I won’t know if she does or doesn’t because I don’t know how I feel so how the hell would I know how she feels?” Jughead sighed, shaking his head. “This is the hardest thing I’ve done in years.” 

After another hour went by, their call ended, Jughead explaining that he was tired and wanted to go to bed. The house was silent, much like the day before but this time he caught Betty walking down the stairs in his peripheral. She stopped in front of him, pulling her eyes up to his before dropping them to his hand. 

“D-Does it hurt?” He shook his head, not ready to use his voice with her yet. He hadn’t seen her most of the day seeing as she had gone to the valley with Hotdog and came back late, going straight upstairs for a nap. 

Her eyes came up again and she lifted her hands, pressing the back of them to his cheeks and one on his forehead. He was confused as to what she was doing but he let her. She obviously knew more about this shit than he did. “You feel okay?” Her voice was so small it almost shocked him. He just gave another nod, his voice still not wanting to show. “You’re not dizzy or anything, right? You don’t feel light headed or-”

“What is this?” Her eyes were surprised, almost fearful as she looked up at him. How had he managed to petrify her in a week? God, she’s going to hate him now. 

He went from being as nice as he could, trying to give her all this space to wanting to be in her presence any chance he got. It had to have freaked her out, it’s the only way to explain why she would only be open and calm when she would come and be in his presence. He was trying too hard and now it was scaring her. 

“I’m just…” She sighed, biting her lip. “You’re not nauseas? You feel perfectly fine?”

He sighed and held back an eyeroll. “Yes, Betty. Now, what are you doing?” She nodded, stepping back. He gripped her wrist when she tried to walk away, furrowing his brows. “What’s wrong? If you want to leave, I will take you wherever you want to go right now. I am not going to force you to stay somewhere you don’t want to be.” She blinked at him, her face emotionless. “Betty?” She just shook her head and he dropped her wrist, letting her walk away. She walked upstairs slowly and he rolled his eyes when he heard her door latch closed. 

He felt aggravated and enraged over a petty thing. She continues to show that there’s something wrong, especially so when he’s around, but she won’t talk to him. Which, if it’s not about him, he’s not going to force her into telling him something she doesn’t want to talk about. He also doesn’t want to sound like an ass by intruding into her personal life. He felt like he was holding her back and away from her friends even if it was her choice to stay. 

He let out a sigh as he walked upstairs himself, the feeling of her hands on his face still faintly there. 

~

The next morning Betty had done her normal routine. She had gone on her run and had come back, making him breakfast. He came down and he got a bright smile like nothing had happened. She ate beside him like nothing had happened, too. If you had seen them, they would look like two normal friends who were completely happy and nothing was wrong when in all reality, it felt like everything was wrong. 

Her smile was just too big and her eyes were guarded. Her hair was too tight and her dress was too wrinkled. Her touch was too heavy and her mind seemed too full. She was jumpy and every glance she sent his way was furtive. It made him feel constricted and trapped, and he couldn’t fathom how she felt. Maybe if he wasn’t so worried about consequences he could actually wake up and tell her how he felt and explain he will be anything she wants him to be; that everything would be her choice. 

He walked around that day with a weird feeling in his shoulders. Everything about him just felt too stiff and wound up, like he was too prepared for something. So when she had walked out to the horse stalls that afternoon, asking him to teach her how to ride he was shocked for a few too many moments. 

“Jug?” He blinked, shaking his head. 

“Y-Yeah. Okay, sure. Um… helmets ar-are down there.” He pointed to the other end of the barn, letting out a long exhale as she walked towards them. He pulled out Chestnut, still shaking his head to clear the fogginess in his mind. 

They had worked for most of the night to get her to understand the center of balance and to get her over her fear and everything felt normal again. She didn’t have any walls built up around her and she was joking, laughing, and smiling at him like nothing was wrong; like the air between them half of the time wasn’t clouded with nerves and secrets. 

But it was ruined, as it always was. 

When she was trying to get down from Chestnut’s back she had slipped, falling down on top of him. She had situated herself to straddle him for a brief second, their breath bated and heavy as they looked each other in the eyes. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, her eyes went wide and she stood up in a blink, walking as quickly as she could to the house. He had stood up off the ground with the thought of following her, but decided against it with a confused, but upset, huff. 

~

It happened again, and again, and then another time and then once more. 

It’s been now almost two weeks since he cut his hand and his bandage was almost unneeded - so he rarely wore it. But she would scold him for having it off and would put it back on, almost as if it was an excuse to keep touching him without it having a different meaning. Although anytime he opened his damn mouth, the bubble they created would pop. She would freak out and become like a magnet, but anytime he would attempt to speak to her or touch her, it would be with the wrong end and she would stay just out of his reach. 

This morning, when she had come downstairs after her run and was ready for the day, they ate breakfast together and they were fine. At lunch, when he had come in, she was laughing and talking with him like they had at the farmers market a week earlier. But now, as she walked out to the horse stables pulling on her hands, he knew the bubble would be popped again.

“Hey,” he said guardedly and she just chewed her lip, moving to stand next to him. “Do you need something?” 

Her eyes were doe-like as she looked up at him. She continued to twist and pull at her hands, stuttering over a few words before she took in a deep breath. “H-How’s your hand?”

“Betty,” he clenched his jaw and she swallowed. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt, it’s not red, and there’s nothing coming out of it.” She opened her mouth to talk but he spoke over her. “I’m not dizzy, I don’t feel light headed, I’m not nauseous, I haven’t thrown up, and I don’t have a fever. I’m fine.” 

She nodded, looking down at her feet. “Good. Th-That’s really good. Do you need help out here?” 

“Um, no not that I know of. Why?” He raised an eyebrow and she shrugged.

“I-I just… well…” She sighed, biting her lip. “Y-You’re sure?” He nodded, now with furrowed brows, looking at her confusingly. 

“What’s wrong? Is it me? Am I-Am I doing something that’s… that’s making you uncomfortable? I‘ll stop, but you have to tell me what it is. I can’t do anything to help you unless you talk to me.” She swallowed, looking everywhere but him. “Betty,” 

“I-I…” She shook her head before turning around, walking away. He gritted his teeth, huffing. 

“No, you do not get to walk away again.” She froze as she started to walk up the steps of the front porch, Jughead closing the barn before walking towards her. “This is the fifth time you’ve done this this week. I am done dealing with it nicely. You walk over and start talking about my hand that I know you know is fine. If I was going to get an infection, it would have happened by now. Everytime I try to talk to you about you, you run. What’s wrong? It’s not going to kill me to take you home.”

She turned to face him, her face still blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m fine.” 

His nostrils flared as he clenched his jaw. “No, you’re not and I’m not dumb. Tell me what I have done to do this. I want to fix it, I don’t want to leave it for it to become this big huge problem we can’t get over.” 

“You don’t know me, therefore you have no right to yell at me.”

He snickered, shaking his head as he walked up onto the porch to stand across from her. “No, because I do. You run when things get a little confusing rather than sitting there trying to figure it out!” 

“You have no right to say that to me!”

“I do because it obviously involves me!” She finally began to show some emotion at his yell, light tears in his eyes. 

She swallowed thickly, taking in a few steadying breaths. “I-I… I don’t want to leave.” Her voice was small and soft, but Jughead couldn’t get his to match hers.

“Well it fucking looks like you do!”

“Are you stupid?!” He furrowed his brows, watching her with bated breath. “How many more times do I have to-to attempt to hold your hand? How many more times do I have to try and run into you after I run? How many more times do I have to try and be around you when you’re gone? How many more dinners and lunches do I have to make for you to notice me?” His face fell and tears coated over her cheeks as she took angered steps towards him while she talked. “I don’t understand any of this, that’s why I run! I have never felt like this before until now and now, I don’t know how to just fucking tell you-” 

His hands cupped the sides of her face in a flash, his lips crashing down onto hers. She let out a surprised gasp at first before her hands twisted into his t-shirt, the kiss growing deeper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting yesterday. I was busy with late schoolwork and trying to finish that. I am still working hard on learning how to stay on a fixed posting schedule lol, it’s not always easy.
> 
> All of y’all’s comments are greatly appreciated, along with your kudos!!! I’m glad so many of you are invested in this story, it warms my heart


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kiss they had shared in the chapter before had become more than either of them expected. But, out of fear, things become a little uncertain for them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Jughead pushed Betty into the side of the house, her head falling back with a whimper as he bit at her neck. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling his head up. Their eyes met for a short second, but it felt like they had done so for ten years. There was so much emotion in the one glance and her heart pulled for a moment. 

But the moment was gone almost as soon as it came before he was kissing her again. It was hot and teeth clashing, her hips rolling into his own. He groaned against her mouth, his hands gripping the back of her thighs as he walked them into the house. 

They walked cautiously, Betty letting out a giggle when he slipped a little. He gave her a wide eyed look but laughed himself, kissing her deeply again as he stumbled the rest of the way to his bedroom. 

Once they were there he pressed her against the wall again, Betty pushing her hands under his shirt and raking her nails over his stomach. He let out a strangled groan at the feeling, dropping his head to her shoulder. 

She let out a heaving breath, moving her hands to his shoulders. “Jug, bed, please.” He looked at her with a smirk and she furrowed her brows. “What?”

“Where’d you get that from?” She looked at him confusingly and he just chuckled. “Calling me Jug,”

She gasped, fisting his shirt at his shoulders. “Do you not… I-I’ll stop.” 

“No,” he shook his head, getting closer to her ear. “Never stop.” He kissed from her jaw down to the top of her breasts, sucking a bruise into the skin. 

She sighed, closing her eyes. “Bed, _please_.” 

He moved them quickly, dropping her onto the center of the bed and climbing over her before she even stopped bouncing. She let out a giggle and cupped his cheeks, pulling his face down to hers. She kissed him slowly at first but in seconds it became heady and heated, his hand moving up her inner thigh slowly and carefully. Her legs fell open just a small amount and he froze, pulling back to look down at her. 

“You’re okay?” She nodded quickly and his hand started to climb higher until the tip of his fingers were sitting at the top of her underwear. “You’re still okay?” She gave a nod, Jughead still watching her carefully. She let out a small gasp as his hand dipped into her panties, his hand finally touching her. “Okay?”

She gripped his biceps and pushed her head into the bed, her eyes squeezing shut as he started to work her. “Yes, yes. Oh, god, _yes_.” She let out a loud moan and Jughead smirked, watching her chest start to heave. “Jug,” a gasp fell from her lips and he kissed her deeply, Betty swallowing one of his groans as he pushed two fingers inside of her. 

He worked her to the edge, Betty pulling back with a sharp gasp. “Jug, I’m close.” 

“I know, I got you.” She looked into his eyes for a moment before they rolled into the back of her head, her eyes squeezing shut as she moaned and clenched around his fingers. She came with a muffled cry against his neck, Jughead working her through it. 

He pulled his hand away after a moment, wiping it on his jeans while brushing hair off of her forehead. Her eyes found his again and he watched her carefully, Betty reaching up to cup his cheeks. She pulled his face down to hers, whispering, “I want all of you, right now.” over his lips. 

His nostrils flared and they both froze for a moment before they became a flash of clothes being torn off. Once they each had finally gotten undressed, Betty pushed him down into the bed, straddling his waist. “W-Wait. Are… the pill?” 

“Yes and I’m clean.” 

“Yes, okay, same.” She gave him a nod and he scoffed. “Did I ruin this?” 

She smiled down at him, biting her lip. “Just kiss me.” He chuckled, cupping her cheeks before slowly rolling her onto her back. He lined himself up carefully with her entrance, looking into her eyes. 

“You want this? One hundred percent?”

She nodded. “Yes, please Jug.” His mouth found hers in a bruising kiss as he carefully pushed forward. He froze when he was buried to the hilt, his head on her chest as he let out a gasp. “Jug?” She wriggled and he stilled her, choking on a groan. 

“Mnh-mnh, Betts,” he looked up to her, Betty brushing hair from his face as sweat pooled on his forehead. “I gotta calm down to some extent or else I’m going to embarrass myself big time.” 

She giggled, pulling his face down to hers and placing a languid kiss to his lips. He moved then and she pulled back as she moaned. His mouth moved over her chest, sucking a bruise just above her collarbone. He moved further and palmed her left breast in his hand, sucking the nipple of the right one into his mouth. 

“Oh, my…” Her head fell to the bed and his hand snaked between them.

“God, tell me you’re close.” He gritted out the words, rubbing tight circles over her clit. He moved his head up when she stayed silent, his hips snapping into hers quickly. 

“I’m… Jug, oh, god.” He rested his forehead on hers, his abdomen starting to tighten and burn as his orgasm was starting to rip through him. 

“I can’t…” He grunted, his hips stuttering as he thrusted up into her three more times, Jughead moaning into her neck. Her nails dug into his back after a moment and it was the first time he realized he was lying on top of her. 

He rolled off of her with a sigh, both of them panting. He glanced over at her after some time and she tried to hide the small smile that was gracing her lips. “I’m going to go to my room.” He nodded, watching her pull her dress on before walking away quickly. 

He chuckled to himself and shook his head, staring up at the ceiling. He was so happy, he couldn’t even find the room to worry about why she had left right after they had both finished. He wiped a hand over his face with another laugh, rolling his eyes with a groan as he stood up out of the bed to find his boxers. 

Little did he know Betty was sitting on her bed, holding back a squeal like a sixteen-year-old girl who had just been asked on her first date. Her smile was painfully big and she couldn’t seem to wipe it away no matter what, the only thoughts on her brain now being her and Jughead in his room just a few moments earlier. 

~

The next morning Jughead had woken up to an empty and silent house, and was partially confused. Betty almost always brought one dog on her run in the morning but she had a rotation. First it was Bailey for two days, then Scout for two, then Hotdog for two, and she gave herself a day for it to just be her. But she never took all the dogs at once. 

He pushed the burdening, stubborn thoughts from his head, eating cereal with Ginger. But when an hour had passed, the thoughts got louder telling him that she left him, that she had run and had used him, that he had scared her away for good, and that he sucks at sex. 

He tried to work it off, tried to stop thinking about it, but she had come back almost at sundown. She had a large backpack on her back, one she must have gotten from the closet downstairs and he could tell she had brought enough food and water for her and the dogs both just because he knew she wasn’t dumb enough not to. 

He had tried talking to her but got nothing in return. She would just hide her face and leave. “Great job, Jughead. You fucked it up _again_.” He rolled his eyes and huffed, pulling a beer out of the fridge. “Cheers to being the biggest asshole to ever grace this earth.” He clinked the glass in a mirror he had hanging in the hallway, sinking down on the couch and turning on the TV.

For hours he sat watching unnecessary television that meant nothing to absolutely anybody and it only made his brain feel like mush. He drank three beers, forcing himself to stop when he looked at a fourth. Yeah, he felt like shit, but he didn’t want to also be shit faced at the same time. 

So, he dragged himself upstairs, passing her bedroom with a painful lump in his throat, his stomach feeling like a pound of bricks mixed with alcohol. He cringed, walking past her room with a shake of his head. He walked into his own bedroom and fell onto his bed, whining as he threw the pillows to the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. 

~

She had managed to ignore him for a week. Meaning, he hadn’t seen her in a whole week. How, he’ll never know.

The first day, he accepted it. She likes to run, especially when she didn’t know how to react to things. He just couldn’t decide _what_ she didn’t know how to react to. Was it that she expected him to be a sex god and he wasn’t? We’re his feelings towards her still not out in the open? Or was she still confused about how she felt towards him? 

The second day, he had expected to _at least_ see her after her run, but no. He didn’t even see her _leave_ for her run. She hadn’t taken Scout, Bailey, or Hotdog either. She had managed to hide in her room all day, but when he had come to bed that night, he had noticed she had taken a few more books from his room. At least she was entertained. 

The third day, he couldn’t remember anything. It was a blank spot filled with a dash of dirt and cigarette smoke. 

Day four and five were much the same as two, but on day six he had gone to town. He expected her to have wanted to come, he expected her to want to leave if she was trying to avoid him _this hard_. But then again, he also thought that if she wanted to leave, she would probably get picked up by her friend. 

He had knocked on her bedroom door that morning. “I was going into town if-if you maybe wanted to, uh, come?” He waited but only got silence. “You don’t have to stay with me if you go. I… there’s places around town that you might… it’s perfectly fine if…” He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’ll just… I’ll leave you be.” 

He felt empty as he drove and got groceries alone, while also feeling stupid. For six years before she came he had done this once a week all alone and had been fine. But, just like every guy ever, as soon as he has sex for the first time in a year, that’s now all he wants. God, he was making himself out to be a real dick.

When he had come home she was still locked in her room but the dishes were done and the house seemed clean. There was also a load of her laundry going in the washer. He sighed and shook his head, dropping the groceries in a heap on the floor and grabbing a beer, dropping himself in his spot on the couch. 

On the seventh day he felt like a broken, shattered record. 

He had ended up passing out on the couch the night before, but knew he didn’t fall asleep with a blanket over him. He didn’t keep blankets anywhere near the living room, so she had come downstairs and was probably on her run at this very moment and if he just waited, he could see her. But he decided it would be wrong. 

One more day of playing hide and seek with her won’t hurt _that bad_ he guesses. 

So he gathered himself and dragged his feet up the stairs, walking into his bedroom. He stripped his bed to be washed later, throwing everything into a corner. After, he walked into the bathroom, peeling off his clothes and throwing them into the hamper. He started the shower and got in with a sigh, letting the water run over his back as he took in slow steadying exhales. He rubbed his eyes before he pushed his hair back and out of them, turning quickly when the shower door opened. 

His jaw slacked slightly, his mouth running dry as Betty stepped into the shower behind him. “Betts,” his voice almost wasn’t there as he turned, the water hitting the back of his head. 

“I’m sorry for what I did, but I needed a minute… o-or a week.” He watched her carefully, letting her guide herself. “I wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt you I just got… scared? I-I’m not sure. But,” she sighed, stepping towards him and cupping his cheeks, his hands moving to hold her waist. “I want to make it up to you.” 

He furrowed his brows, confused. “What-” she kissed him quickly, his hands tightening to a bruising grip at her sides. 

“Let me do this.” His brows furrowed again until she slowly sunk down to her knees, Jughead shaking his head. 

“Betts, you…” She stood up again, her brows now furrowed as he brushed a hand over her cheek and brushed hair off of her face. “You don’t have to do this.” 

She shook her head, losing the confused look on her face. “No, let me.” She slowly sunk back down, his hand threading through her hair as his other made a fist on the wall, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. 

~

Jughead grinned at Betty, brushing hair off of her face. “You will be the actual death of me, you know that?” She hid her smile and bit her lip, sitting up in his lap. 

She clutched a blanket to her chest, Jughead’s hand sitting on the back of the couch, ready to catch her if she fell. “Can I apologize?” 

“For what?” She frowned and he raised his eyebrow. “For last week?” 

“Yes, for last week. Can I?” He shrugged and she adjusted herself, squeezing his stomach more tightly between her thighs to balance herself more. “Listen, I got scared, okay? I-I’ve never felt like this this fast before. I mean, I’ve had one night stands because… yeah, but you’re-you’re different. I didn’t… I’m terrible at reading people that I just meet because I have no clue how you react to anything, you know?” He nodded, placing a hand behind his head, his other on his chest. “So, when I first got here I expected this to be a one night thing then I would call Kevin and then I would go to sleep and then go home the next day. But then you… you told me about your sister and we stayed up and you kept me distracted from the storm and I was… I didn’t want to go home after that.” 

“Because I told you about my dead sister?” 

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, shaking her head. “No, not… all because of that. I just… you were genuine and that’s hard to find in people anymore. I really, _really_ liked you and I had no clue how to tell you because I suck at talking about things because I don’t want to ruin anything.” She sighed, chewing the inside of her lip. “Then you said we should go to town and I got really happy because I was like ‘oh, cool, he wants to spend time with me’. Then you started doing that teasing thing and I was like ‘oh, god, he _wants_ to spend time with me’, but then you just walked to the truck and I was quite disappointed in you.” He chuckled and she frowned through a smile.

“Then we got groceries and stuff, and the farmers market and I was really sure you were going to… hold my hand _at least_ and then you didn’t and I got really disappointed - _again_.” He raised his eyebrows, partially shocked by her words. “But you were cute so I couldn’t stay mad at you.” 

“Oh, so now I’m cute?” He smiled up at her and she laughed, nodding. “Oh, wow. That’s a first.” 

“You’ve never been called cute?” She raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips. 

“Not by anyone that matters.” Her cheeks turned pink in an instant, Jughead letting out another chuckle.

“No more interruptions.” He gave her a nod, Betty adjusting herself again, prepared to finish her story. “Okay, as I was saying, after we got home you had to get all ‘I’m a chef’ and sliced your damn hand!”

“It healed quite nicely, yes?” He inspected his palm, showing it to her.

“Not my point!” She crossed her arms, the sheet slipping a bit. “I dressed the stupid gash you had and we sat there and you finally, _finally_ acted like you wanted something from me and my heart was pounding so hard but then the fucking fire alarm went off and I panicked and just had to run. You know, that week after, I didn’t mean to fall asleep outside on the balcony and when I realized you had brought me to my bed I felt… I don’t even know. I guess I felt like you cared which not many people do because some people find me annoying because of my running thing.”

He sighed, Betty doing the same. “Then I kept doing the ‘how’s your hand thing’ to have an excuse to hold your hand and it kinda ruined us for a little while and I didn’t like it. But then you… you yelled and made me even more upset but you also finally got me to say what I had been holding back for, like, weeks now and then you kissed me. And I didn’t expect us to… you know, but we did and I’m glad we did, Jug, really. Then I got scared again and had to hide. I just… I kept telling myself I was just a lay for you and that’s all I would be and trust me, I know you’re not like that but a lot of other guys are so I’m just prewired and I’m sorry.”

She calmed herself when she started to ramble, Jughead’s hand reaching up to squeeze her shoulder. “And, um, to be honest, what just happened in the shower this morning was _not_ planned. I had come in from my walk because I didn't feel like running and I saw that you had moved and truthfully, I got really nervous. I thought you were going to, like, jump out at me and corner me because you wanted an answer - which you deserved one and that’s why you’re getting one. But, anyway, I heard your shower going when I walked past your bedroom door and I _tried_ to ignore it but before I knew what I was doing, I was standing in front of the shower, undressing as quietly as I could so you wouldn’t hear me. And then, I was… was I bad? I’ve never done that before.”

“No, no, no. Trust me Betts, you were…” He shook his head, blowing a puff of air. “God, I will _never_ forget that. It was mind blowing if I had to find some way to explain it.” 

“You’re sure? You can be honest, I’m not going to get butt hurt.” She huffed and he chuckled, putting light pressure on her shoulders so she would lean down to him. 

“Betts, if I didn’t like it, you would have found out in the shower, trust me.” She blushed a little and he gripped the back of her neck, pulling her into a deep, languid kiss that had her melting into him, pulling back breathlessly. 

“You know, as much as I would gladly go again, I’m not sure if I want to do it in front of Bailey.” He raised an eyebrow, following her eyes over to the said dog by the window. “She’s so innocent over there chewing on her bone and we’re going to ruin her poor little dog mind with images of us having sex.” She looked back to him, chewing the side of her mouth that was towards Bailey. “That can haunt her for all of eternity.” 

“You’re worried about a dog watching us… have sex?” She nodded quickly. 

“Yes, she has eyes. She can see.” He held back a laugh, watching her as she spoke again. “And what if Hotdog or Scout walk in? They could get petrified, too and you can’t do that to their little dog minds. It can also probably, like, make you a registered sex offender.” 

“Oh, my God.” He laughed, kissing her quickly. “Life was so fucking boring without you in it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... they finally... did it - and not just once. 
> 
> All of y’all’s comments mean the world to me. Thank you to the people who are interacting with this!!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead’s communications skills start off a little rough, but there’s _some_ development.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

The whole day after Betty had explained everything, it was easy. Jughead was able to work without over thinking anything, his head was empty and clear, something it hadn’t been in years. 

Betty was telling Kevin all about it for most of the day before she made lunch for Jughead, going outside to find him. He was sitting on the ground by the horse stalls smoking a cigarette and she couldn’t help but smile at the image.

“Hi,” she said tinily, Jughead smiling up at her. 

“You know, you don’t have to make me food, Betts.” She shrugged, moving to sit next to him when he stopped her. “You’re going to get your dress all dirty.” 

“Okay, well,” she sat down in his lap and he chuckled. “Is that better?” 

“I’d say so.” He placed a chaste kiss to her lips, taking the sandwich from her hands. “Thank you.” She hummed with a smile, Jughead putting his cigarette out. 

They had talked while he ate, both laughing over small things. When he had finished she had gone back to the house, finding a book and sitting on the balcony to read. He had come inside later to find her still on her spot on the balcony, the book still in her hands but she was staring off into the fields. 

He walked over to her, sitting down in a chair next to her. “What are you looking at?”

“I’m not sure.” He furrowed his brows and she looked over at him, a tiny smile on her face. “You need flowers.” 

“Oh, that’s what you’re paying attention to?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “What, my house isn’t girly enough for you?”

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. “No, you just… it’d make it look nice.”

“You want to know who sees this house?” She furrowed her brows and he adjusted himself in his seat. “You, me, Archie, Veronica; that’s it. And you and Veronica are one in the same because she constantly yells at me for having no flowers.” 

“Because you need some. It’d be cute.” 

“Now you want my house to look cute?” She laughed, nodding.

“Yes!” He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. It started slow but grew needy in minutes, Jughead moving to pick her up out of her chair. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked them inside and to his bedroom, closing the door with his foot. 

~

Jughead flashed the cigarette to Betty and she nodded, watching him light it. “How long have you been smoking?” He glanced down at her, Betty pulling the sheet higher over her chest. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, no. It’s fine.” He tapped it into an ashtray beside his bed, taking a drag before talking again. “I think the first time I, like, tried one I was 11-years-old and my dad had left the room with one going. I was dumb so I wanted to try it and when I did I got my ass handed to me. I swore up and down I would never do it again, but about… four years later I snuck a pack of his cigarettes to school and started showing them off to be cocky. But, that showing off turned into an expensive addiction and got us here.” 

She turned his chin so he looked at her, her eyes running over his face. “So, technically, you’ve been smoking since you were 11, but you didn’t _actually_ start until you were 15?” 

“Yeah, I guess so.” She raised her eyebrows and he narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to listen to you tell me it’s bad because I know it is, and believe it or not, I tried to stop at one point in time but failed miserably.”

“I wasn’t going to yell at you.” He raised his eyebrows, snuffing his cigarette out in his ashtray. “I was just going to say wow and then I was also going to tell you my friend is coming.” 

He choked on his saliva, sitting up looking at her with wide and confused eyes as he coughed. “What?” He croaked it out, Betty wincing a little. 

“H-He insisted on coming and… I can’t tell him no.” Jughead cleared his throat, calming down from the coughing fit he had just gone through. “And he’s not even coming until the end of next week, so you have time to prepare.” 

“Prepare, you think that’s what I do?” She shrugged and he sighed. “Why didn’t you think to ask before you just openly invited him into _my_ home?” She gave him another shrug, looking up at him with sad eyes. 

“You just… I didn’t think you would mind because, well, you let me stay here without any protest s-so I just thought maybe you would be okay with him coming here.” He sat up and she followed, furrowing her brows when he pulled on his clothes. “What did I do?” 

“What did you do? Are you…” He cut himself off, inhaling deeply. “We’ve slept together, what… twice and now you think you can just invite people over without asking me? You don’t own this house, you don’t own me, you don’t pay the bills, I do. Ask me if I’m okay with things like this before you run off and do them.” 

She hurried off the bed when he started to walk off, pulling her dress on quickly. “Jug, let me explain-”

“No, I don’t…” He turned around to face her, holding his hands out in front of him but close to his chest. “No. I’m done listening to you explain everything you do down to the beginning detail. I just need time to process this. So go to your room and… I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“But you’re mad and-and…” She swallowed and started to twist her hands. 

“And what?” She shook her head, averting his glance. “You don’t get to hide tomorrow morning, understand? We are over that.” 

She bit her lip as she nodded, waiting until Jughead walked downstairs to go to her room. 

~

Betty hadn’t slept well that night, waking up every few hours. She didn’t have the energy to go on her run or even a walk that morning and had just laid in bed until there was a knock on her door. She had sat up with a huff, dragging her body over to the door and pulling it open. 

“I’m sorry.” She rolled her eyes, stepping back to pull the door open wider. “I mean it.” 

“Why are you apologizing? Shouldn’t it be me?” He shook his head as he sat down on the bed, Betty closing the door and standing in front of him cautiously. 

“I was upset at first, okay? Last night… you just invited him and I had no clue you two were even discussing that.” 

“Well, not to be rude, but what we talk about is none of your business.” He clenched his jaw at her words, nodding.

“I know, and I was getting there. I am not entitled to knowing what you two talk about and honestly, I could care less, it’s the least of my worries.” She watched him and he looked up at her. “But as soon as you brought him staying here into that conversation, I needed to know. This room is the only other room besides my own with a bed in it. The other ones are empty because… the only people who have ever come out here are Archie and Veronica. I don’t… they don’t even come out here often, no one does.” 

“What does this have to do with Kevin?” 

“Okay, come here.” She sat down next to him and he sighed. “One: you can’t sleep here anymore so you’re going to have to sleep in my room because you’re not sleeping on the couch or outside.”

“I fell asleep out there once.” He smiled and chuckled, Betty narrowing her eyes as she held back her smile. 

“Two: we can’t have these petty arguments because it will disrupt everything.” She agreed silently, sighing. “That’s really it.” 

“So, I gotta be out of this room by next week?” 

“Mm-hm, sorry. You gotta deal with me now.” He kissed the side of her head, pulling her into his side. “Also, because you get your friend, Archie will be out here after…” He looked at her as he tried to figure out his name and she raised an eyebrow.

“Kevin,” she held back her laugh and he nodded.

“Yeah, I-I knew that. Just testing you.” 

“Sure,” they both smiled a little, Betty running her eyes over his face for a moment. “I know it’s early and we’ve only known each other for, like, a month, but what… what would you consider us to be? Because I know what I want us to be, but maybe it’s too early for you which is perfectly fine, I understand. I just want to know where you stand right now.”

He stayed quiet for a moment, looking down at his hands. “Okay, well, it’s not like I have people lining up at my door to be with me, so I’d say we’re exclusive. But… we haven’t been on a ‘date’ unless the farmers market could have kind of been considered one? I’m not sure.” He looked at her and sighed a little. Her expression held so many emotions he couldn’t decide which one to focus on. “But if you want labels, okay. We’ll get whatever fucking labels you want. And if you don’t, that’s fine, too. I’m not… in a rush to name this, whatever it is because it seems when I am, something happens and the plan for us to-to be something gets ruined.” 

She sat up so she was kneeling, cupping his cheeks to get him to look at her. “So, what you’re saying is, if we were walking down the street and someone asked if we were dating, you’d say yes? O-Or if a girl gave you her number you wouldn’t use it?” 

“I don’t know about that one,” her jaw slacked and she shoved his shoulder, letting go of him. “I don’t have your number and that’s a girls number I would like to use.” 

“I don’t like you, th-that’s mean.” 

“Betts, you think I’m going to give you up for some random girl on the street?” He gave her an incredulous look, Betty shrugging. 

“What if it was Kendall Jenner or something? She’s, like, way better than me.” He cringed, hissing through his teeth. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen a picture of her since, like, 2011 and she was, like, what, 14? The images in my head are horrific. And plus, her, here, in Riverdale? You’re pushing it a little bit.” 

“She was 15 and I only know that because I was 15.” He chuckled, nodding. 

“Okay, so I haven’t seen a picture of her since she was 15. But, even if I did see her, however she looks today, or if I saw any other woman at all, I wouldn’t care. I see you, Betty, I see _only_ you. You don’t have to worry about anyone else for as long as we are together, I mean that.” He had a sincere look in his eyes and she melted under his gaze.

“I have one last question.” He nodded and she placed her hands on her knees. “You’re not mad at me for what I did?”

“No, not anymore.” He brushed her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek. “I got over it, Betts.” 

“Also,” she smiled brightly and Jughead pulled his hand away. “Kev’s bringing me clothes from my moms house so you can see me in other clothes rather than my five dresses.” 

“But I love your dresses.” 

“He’s not just bringing me clothes, Jug.” His eyes widened and she smirked. 

“You’re trying to kill me at this point.” She laughed as he kissed her, her hands moving to cup his cheeks and he slowly laid her down on the bed. 

~

Jughead was just walking inside when Betty came skipping down the stairs, giving him a happy smile. “Hi, I was just coming to find you.” He raised his eyebrow in question and she followed him into the kitchen. “I was wondering, when do you think we could go into town next?” 

“Today.” She widened her eyes in surprise and he chuckled as he put the cup he was drinking out of into the sink. “My truck is not a luxury that comes once a week, I just have no need to go to town multiple times so I just go once.” 

“Oh, so, we could go?” He nodded and she smiled again. “Okay. I wanted to buy flowers.” 

“Oh, so you’re going to girl-up my house?” 

“No!” She laughed and he chuckled, crossing his arms as he leaned against the counter. “Lots of guys have flowers around their houses.” 

“Okay, but I’m not one of them. I don’t have a green thumb, I basically kill every single plant I touch ever.” She raised an eyebrow and he smiled. “I’m serious! Why do you think I don’t grow any of my own shit?”

She shrugged and stepped between his legs. “I can teach you how to take care of them. It’s not that hard and they’ll look nice, Jug. And they’re not all going to be outside, you need some life in here, too.” 

“Fine, but only because you're the one who’s teaching me.” She smiled and hummed, placing a chaste kiss to his lips. 

“Okay, go shower because you’re all sweaty, and then we can go.” 

“If you say so.” He kissed her again quickly, Betty stepping back from him as he moved upstairs. 

~

“What are these things called again?” Betty looked up at Jughead who was sitting beside her on the porch, on the phone. 

“Hydrangeas.” He raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes. “It’s not that hard to say because you’ve said it before.”

“Archie, she’s bullying me because I can’t say the name of a flower.” She scoffed and laughed, going back to planting the said flower. “Yeah, I know. I have flowers now.” 

She glanced up at him and sat back on the heels of her feet. “If you want these things to live, you gotta get off the phone and help me.” 

“She’s kicking me off the phone now. I’ll talk to you later, Arch.” He hung up the phone and she frowned, watching him jump down off the porch. 

“You’re making me sound like a bitch.” He rolled his eyes playfully, sitting down next to her. 

“Trust me, you’re not and he knows that.” She sighed and he clapped his hands. “So, how do I do this?” 

~

“I feel bad for Kevin.” Jughead furrowed his brows at Betty’s mumble, pulling his t-shirt off before peeling the blankets back on the bed. 

“May I ask why?” 

She set her book on the nightstand, sitting criss-cross under the blankets. “He has to sleep on a bed we defiled at least three times in one day.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “The things you worry about. First the dogs, then Ginger, and now this. You act like we haven’t washed the sheets.”

“It’s just the sheets though. We corrupted the whole mattress!” She huffed while he laughed again, pulling her lightly by the arm into his lap. 

“We’ve _corrupted_ this mattress, too.” He bit at her neck and she took in a deep inhale before letting out a long exhale. He pushed the blanket off of her, moving it with his own feet until it was at on the floor. “And the couch,” he placed a kiss and sucked a bruise into her collarbone, her hands threading through his hair as he pulled her t-shirt up and slowly rolled her to lie on her back on the bed. “And the kitchen table,” she laughed a little, gasping when his mouth wrapped around her nipple.

“Jug,” his name came out in a sigh, her head pushing into the bed as he moved across her chest, pulling her other nipple into his mouth. He slowly moved down her body and she tugged on his hair when she realized what he was doing. “No, Jug, you don’t…” he leaned up over her, Betty biting her lip nervously. “You don’t have to do that.” 

“You’re right, I don’t have to but…” he kissed her languidly until she wilted into the bed and he pulled back with an arrogant smirk. “I want to, for you. So,” he helped pull her shirt over her head, kissing at her neck. “Let me start again.” 

He made a slow descent down her body, his fingers hooking into the side of her underwear before he pulled them down her legs, dropping them to the floor. He kissed her left ankle and then her calf, nipping at her inner thigh and getting her small surprised yelp. 

She was breathing heavily as he held her gaze, his eyes reassuring before he came to lean over her again. “You’re okay. If you don’t want me to do this, just say so.” 

“No, I… no ones ever done this to me before.” He nodded, brushing hair from her face. 

“Well, if you want me to stop, just say so, okay? Don’t be afraid.” He placed a quick kiss to her lips, Betty sighing. “I got you, trust me.” She gave him a nod before he kissed her again, moving back down her body one last time. 

She let out a surprised gasp when she felt his breath fan over her, whimpering when he placed a feather light kiss to where her leg met her body. He gave her one last reassuring look before he placed a kiss on her, Betty moaning and threading her fingers through his hair. 

~

Jughead rolled over groggily, blinking and squinting at Betty who was drying her hair with a towel. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes, confused as to what time it was. He tugged the sheet over his waist when it started to slip and she sat down next to him.

“Good morning.” She kissed him soundly and he hummed. 

“What time is it?” He grabbed his pajama pants and pulled them on, stepping out of bed and stretching his back. 

“Almost nine, why?” She stood up with him, watching him walk past her to the bathroom.

“I haven’t slept that long in years. Did you already go on your run?” She nodded and gave him a smile. “Um, when does your friend get here?”

“Kevin, and I’m not sure. Soon I assume.” He nodded, itching his head. “I’m going to make breakfast, come downstairs when you’re ready.” She kissed him on the corner of the mouth quickly, leaving the bedroom. 

Jughead showered quickly, getting dressed and brushing his teeth before walking downstairs. Betty was sitting on the counter, watching the pancake that was cooking in the pan beside her. 

“Is that the most efficient way to do things?” He asked it with a chuckle, Betty looking up at him with a small smile of her own. 

“My legs got tired,” He shook his head and smiled himself, kissing her cheek. “But it’s not like I’m walking away from it. I’m still watching it, even if pancakes are not what I’m good at making.” 

“They look great, Betts.” She raised an eyebrow, shrugging.

“Eat one then.” He looked at one, picking it up and biting into it. “That is _not_ how you eat a pancake! Ah!” She laughed when he picked her up, spinning her around the kitchen. The doorbell ringing caught Betty’s attention and she wriggled from Jughead’s arms. “He’s here!” She ran from the room excitedly and Jughead turned off the stove, following shortly after a moment, frowning when he had seen the image in front of him.

Her friend, with a name he just couldn’t seem to remember, had her in a tight hug and her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist. He placed a kiss to her cheek and forehead, Betty grinning widely when he dropped her to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has honestly done so much better than i thought it would. i feel like i say this every chapter _but_ i really am super thankful for all of y’all who are interested in this and thank you so much for reading!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead gets confused about what Kevin is to Betty and the things that happen cause some triggering thoughts for him. But, luckily, Betty is there with open arms, ready to help him get through whatever is affecting him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Jughead frowned as he sunk down into a dining room chair, bringing the beer bottle to his lips and taking a drink. “You just got overruled in your own house.” He rolled his eyes at Archie’s words, leaning back. “Jughead ain’t gettin’ none.”

“You’re disgusting, I could care less about that. I care about how close these two are. I kid you not, Arch, they are thigh-to-thigh right now on the couch, there is not even a breath of room between these two.” He dropped his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. “God, what if he’s a secret boyfriend? What if he’s not a friend? I mean, I’m not saying she would lie to me ever but hell, you never know.”

“They can’t be _that_ close.” 

“No, they’re _that_ close.” He took another swig from his beer when Betty let out a belly laugh, a frown heavy set on his face. “I’m going to go.”

“You sure you can handle this all alone?” Archie chuckled and Jughead rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, I’ll talk to you later.” He ended the call before Archie could say anymore, dropping the phone on the table before finishing his beer and standing up. He walked into the kitchen, running into Betty grabbing beers for herself and her friend, a name he still for some reason didn’t know. “Hey,” 

She gave him a smile, her eyes half lidded. “Hi,” He put his beer in the sink, Betty closing the fridge with her foot. “I know you’re probably going to bed, but Kev and I were going to stay up for a little bit.” 

“Okay, just come up when you’re ready.” She gave him a smile, walking away. He scoffed quietly, standing dumbfounded for a minute before walking forward. He paused when he passed the entryway to the living room, frowning even more as Betty threw her head onto his shoulder while she laughed. 

It really wasn’t his right to be jealous, he barely knew Betty and for all he knew, him and her were just a fling for the time being no matter if he wanted them to be more. He was a friend, he told himself over and over again until he fell into a restless sleep. 

~

Jughead woke up to stumbling, blinking his eyes at Betty giggling as she shut the bedroom door. “Betts,” 

“I’m sorry, go back to sleep.” He sat up as she whispered the sentence, crawling into the bed. “Did I wake you?”

“I-” he swallowed the comment he had, helping her cover herself up and snuggle into the pillows. “No, no you didn’t.” 

“Oh, okay, that’s good.” Her eyes slowly fell closed and she hugged the blanket to her chest. “That’s good…” He sighed, lying down next to her and rolling to face the window. 

~

Jughead wiped his hands on his pants and dropped his cigarette on the ground, stomping on it before walking inside the house and into the kitchen. 

“Hey, it’s about time you’re up.” He said it with a chuckle and Betty frowned, her friend giving him a glare. 

“That’s not nice.” She rested her head in her hand and Jughead opened his mouth to speak but thought against it. 

He sighed as he walked over to the sink, filling a glass with water. “Hotdog was looking for you this morning.” 

She looked back at him, annoyance in her eyes. “Okay?” 

“N-Nevermind.” He dropped his cup into the sink, walking away with a sigh as he heard them start talking. 

He worked outside for most of the day, ignoring the two of them when he would go inside for water. Really, it was unneeded seeing as she was actively shunning him for some reason. He couldn’t tell if it was from his comment this morning or if he had done something else that had pissed her off but whatever it was, there was no need to be _this_ petty over it. 

But it was this way for the first four days he was there. 

Betty would stay up half the night drinking and would barely bid Jughead a goodnight when he would walk upstairs. Her friend hasn’t said a single word to him his whole time there, not even a mere ‘hello’ or ‘thank you’ and it was getting on his nerves.

He constantly told himself to not be jealous and not to get upset, she wasn’t his. Plus, she had explained how she hadn’t seen him in two years so she was allowed to do this. But the ignoring and clipped responses were unnecessary. So when she had come up to bed the next night, he wasn’t surprised when all hell broke loose. 

It had been quiet and Jughead was just getting out of the shower when Betty had walked into his bedroom. They had walked around silently as they both got dressed for bed, Betty huffing when he dropped his towel on the floor. 

“What? What could you possibly be upset about?” He couldn’t help how he snapped but she clenched her jaw, holding her nose up high. 

“I don’t know you just…” 

“I just what Betty? I’m a burden? An object who’s just hanging around being unused?” He threw the towel into the hamper, along with a few other articles of clothing that were on the floor. 

“I never said that!” 

He scoffed, turning towards her. “But you’re thinking it, everyone always does!” 

“Who the hell gives you the right to decide what I’m thinking about?!” He threw his arms up in exasperation, sitting down on the bed. “God, you’re being an-”

“Asshole. Yeah, yeah. Think of something different for once!” 

She looked taken aback, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t know where this came from-”

“Maybe it’s because you’ve basically forgotten me, Betty! Did you ever think about that? Did you ever think about how he hasn’t said two fucking words to me but he’s judged me so goddamn hard my head hurts?” Tears appeared in his eyes and his brows were furrowed in anger. “Get out of this fucking haze you’re in because you’ve been acting like a spoiled little bitch ever since he got here!” 

She inhaled sharply, a tear escaping her eye. “You-You don’t mean that.”

“No, Betty, I do. You have this… ugh, I don’t even know! You are acting like you are so fucking entitled to everything and like I am your butler! I’m not here for your convenience, Betty! I care about you a lot and this, even after knowing you for a little over a month, this is not you. Stop brown nosing him for fucks sake.” He sat back angrily, getting under the covers of the bed. 

She did the same as she cried, hugging the blanket tightly until he rolled over, pulling her into his front. She squeezed his arm tightly, Jughead placing a kiss to the crown of her head. “I’m sorry, Jug. I’m so, so sorry.” 

“Hey, sh, sh. I know, I’m sorry, too. What I said was wrong, and nasty, and unnecessary.” She hiccuped in a breath and he rolled her so she was lying on her back. He wiped her tears away as she sobbed. “Breathe, Betts.” 

“I swear I’m not always like this, Jug, I’m not. I’m not like this around him either I just…” She sobbed again and he laid back down, holding her to his chest. “I’m sorry.” He held her tightly until she calmed, her sobs thinning out to none and her hiccuped breaths gone as well. “I won’t be like this tomorrow, Jug, I promise.” 

“Hey, Betts, I know. You’re okay.” He kissed the side of her head and she sniffled, wrapping her arms around his chest. “Um, you don’t gotta answer and this is going to make me sound like a dick, but I don’t have to worry about him, do I?” 

She sat up with furrowed brows, wiping her face as she laughed. “Really? Kevin?” 

He shrugged, looking away sheepishly. “You guys are… close.” 

She laughed harder, tears in her eyes for a whole new reason as she leaned down and placed a kiss to his lips quickly. “You’re very cute right now, you know that?” She laughed again and he frowned. “Jug, Kev is _the last_ guy you would have to worry about. _I_ should be the one who should be worried, he’s already called you hot at least six times.” 

“What can I say? I’m irresistible!” She laughed again, cupping his cheeks and kissing him deeply. She moved to straddle his hips as they both started to tear each other’s clothes off with a heated urgency that hasn’t been there in days.

~

Betty giggled as Jughead stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck once before placing his head on her shoulder. “See? You don’t _always_ have to go on a run in the morning.” 

She turned her head and glared at him with a smile playing her lips. He chuckled himself, pulling her into a languid kiss that had him turning her around and dropping her on the counter. 

There was a throat cleared behind them that had them pulling apart quickly. Betty got down off the counter as Kevin walked next to them and poured himself a cup of coffee, Jughead hiding beside her like a scared puppy. 

The rest of the morning moved in silence to Jughead as he just nodded and shook his head to Betty’s questions. She would give him confused looks but he would just shrug, trying to sway her off of the fact that Kevin slightly scared him. He had no clue what he was capable of, he could end everything Jughead has for all he knows. 

So he just worked outside like he had been doing, keeping to himself. But when Kevin had come out to find him and he caught the glimpse of him standing against the side of the horse stalls, he felt his heart in his throat. This man was oddly sneaky. 

“Kevin Keller, we haven’t officially met yet.” He walked towards Jug, holding out his hand and shaking Jughead’s quickly. “Listen, you might think I’m an asshole because I just came here and stole your girl.”

“She’s not my-” Kevin held you his hands to stop him and he just nodded. 

“She’s your girl whether you like it or not for reasons I am not legally obligated to tell you.” Jughead’s eyes widened but Kevin ignored it. “I’m not a mean person, I just want what’s best for Betty and when I first got here, it kind of looked like everything she was saying about you two was false. You were very closed off and not really there, you know?” Jughead gave him a short and clipped nod, crossing his arms and looking down at his feet. “And, before I say anything else, I’m sorry for causing you two to fight. I never, ever wanted that to happen.”

He looked up at Kevin, his jaw slightly clenched. “You heard that?” Kevin gave him a nod and he sighed. They sat there for a moment in silence before Jughead’s head came up, a slight wince on his face. “That means if you heard the fight, you also heard the…”

“Yep.” Jughead cursed under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I mean, I’ll tell you this, I’ve never heard her scream that loud before.” Jughead’s eyes went wide and Kevin laughed. “I’m serious! We were roommates in college, I heard a lot of shit, trust me.” 

“Oh, my God.” He covered his face with his hands, not wanting to face Kevin ever again.

“Your secret is safe with me, I won’t tell anyone.” He laughed as he walked away, Jughead groaning. Why was today the day to get embarrassed? 

~

Jughead stayed outside until he had smoked a few cigarettes, calming the humiliation he felt. He never wanted to be confronted like that or told that by anyone so now that it happened, he felt like he needed to do an odd walk of shame while in his own home. 

When he did finally go inside Betty skipped to his side, reaching on her tiptoes to place a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Hi, I haven’t seen you in hours”

“It’s been, like, two, Betts.” She shrugged, kissing him quickly again. 

“That is a very long time if you must know.” Her hand started to twist at the front of his t-shirt, Jughead furrowing his brows as he watched. 

“You look like you’re hiding something. What’s up?” She sighed, smoothing his shirt down before resting her arms on his shoulders. 

“Well, Kevin is upstairs sleeping and I think we have unfinished business from this morning.” 

He smirked, chuckling. “That was a pg-13 makeout session at most.” 

“Yes, but…” She pulled his head down to hers, brushing her lips over his. “It could be _So. Much. More_.” She pulled his lip lightly between her teeth, Jughead groaning a little before he kissed her roughly over the mouth. 

His hands moved to grip her thighs, helping her wrap her legs around his waist. He walked them upstairs as carefully as he could, pushing her against his bedroom door to close it. 

She let her head fall back as he kissed at her neck, sighing. “Jug,” he looked up at her and she pulled his face back to hers. “I need you now.” 

With that he undid his belt and shoved his pants down, Betty undoing her shorts button and pushing those down along with her panties. She dropped them to the floor and connected her lips with his, wrapping her legs back around his waist before he thrusted inside of her. 

She let out a gasp as he filled her, Jughead grunting as he dropped his head to her shoulder. He was still for a moment until she squeezed the fistful of hair she had wrapped in her hand, and he picked up a slow pace at first but it eventually got faster. 

Betty’s head was pressed against the door and her mouth was set in an “o” shape, moans falling out to mingle with Jughead's grunts and groans that he couldn’t silence. 

“Jug, I’m close.” She basically sobbed out the words, his mouth covering hers in a searing kiss as his hands snaked between them, finding her clit and rubbing tight circles over it. 

His head dropped to her shoulder when he felt the familiar burning and tightening sensation start to curl in his abdomen, knowing he wouldn’t last much longer. “God, Betts, I can’t-” He cut himself off with a groan, his thrust starting to become stuttered. “Betts, I - _fuck_.” 

He muffled his moan in her shoulder as he came, Betty following just moments later with a loud, unceremonious moan she didn’t even attempt to hide. 

They stood there for long moments just trying to catch their breath, Jughead stepping back and slowly lowering her to the ground. She held his arms tightly for a moment before letting out an exhale and walking shakily to the bathroom. He smirked to himself arrogantly, cleaning himself up and getting dressed like nothing happened. 

He had walked downstairs a few minutes later, Betty following afterwards. Kevin walked down just as they were finishing making dinner, an unimpressed and disgusted look on his face. Betty had talked to him a hush whisper after they had eaten, the two of them giving Jughead glances as he cleaned the kitchen.

He could hear their laughs, giggles, and chuckles and felt like he was back in high school again, getting made fun of for sleeping in the janitors closet when Reggie had blabbed the overheard secret to the whole school. It brought back painful memories and soon the memories were of young Jellybean, laughing happily and playing with her toys. 

He shook away all the thoughts, calming himself down. He was a grown man, he shouldn’t worry about how two people viewed him or what they were saying about him. But then again, those two people were the woman he was almost 90% sure he was deathly in love with and her best friend, whom she tells _everything_ to. 

His shoulders slumped visibly as he began to overthink, losing the energy to do anything. So he abandoned the kitchen, dragging his feet up the stairs in exhaustion, not even registering Betty following. 

He slowly got ready for bed, somehow drowning out everything Betty was saying. She just sounded like a blur. Like as if he was underwater and she was trying to speak to him, but he couldn’t hear her, he could only see her lips move.

The image was almost somber. The light in the room was dark, only being lit by a singular small lamp on his desk she had flipped on. It was raining outside as well, something it seemed to be doing often at night now, and the occasional lighting lit up Betty even more brightly. 

But it didn’t help how he felt. He couldn’t even exactly understand how he felt. And, at this point, it wasn’t because of the stupid laughs and giggles, it was because of the images of Jellybean that seemed to not want to go away. It was like he was almost being given a front row seat to the viewing of her life, because in his mind, he really was. 

It started with the first time he met her. It was at home, in the living room, and she was just a small newborn baby still - five days old at the most. He had driven eight hours without stopping, getting home late at night but still being able to see her and hold her to put her back to sleep.

The next memory that came was her first birthday. She had cake smashed into her hands and was rubbing it all over Jughead, but he couldn’t find a place to be mad. If she was laughing and smiling, so was he.

The other was her second birthday. There wasn’t much that filled the spaces between those years besides a lot of tests and too much alcohol. But Jellybean was walking and talking by then, always finding a way to be at Jughead’s side as well. It was one of their last full days together, seeing as after this he had thought coming home was unnecessary seeing how Jelly knew how to use a phone for some reason. 

The last one that played in his mind was the accident. It happened over and over in his brain. First came her scream that had anyones blood turning to ice if you heard it. Then it was his own as the car flipped, but then it was just silence. He was on the ground, having been thrown from the car and he could see Jellybean in her car seat bleeding profusely from a head laceration. He tried to sob, he tried to scream, tried to call out her name but nothing came out. He tried to move but everytime he merely shifted he felt like his lungs were going to collapse. 

After some time a frantic woman appeared, getting down on the ground to be eye level with him. He couldn’t hear what she was saying but she was a wreck and her hands were freezing when she pressed them to his neck in order to find a pulse. After she had done it to him, she went to Jellybean and suddenly noise was a thing again. 

Jughead heard her loud sob that made his ears ring. “No, no, no! I killed a little girl!” He felt a rush of tears fall from his eyes at the woman's words. Killed, as in dead, as in never going to be alive again, as in he has to bury his baby sister because of a stupid ridiculous accident that never would have happened if just had listened to his parents. “I didn’t mean to do it!” She dropped to her knees and started to pray and he wanted to scoff. _It’s too late,_ he thought. _You already killed her!_

The sound of sirens approaching came next and it made his head pound and he felt a rush of blood come out from his ear. The pain from everything suddenly came at a fast speed and he cried out in agony. His voice was back even if it was choked. He sobbed as paramedics stabilized him and checked his vitals, his teeth chattering vigorously whenever he wanted to speak. 

They continued to talk about adrenaline highs and how he couldn’t feel anything because of that the whole way to the hospital. He continued to look around frantically, trying to see if someone would catch him doing so, but no one ever did. They all just continued on with their talk like he wasn’t anything. That is until he could finally get his teeth to stop for a brief second to speak.

“M-My sister,” he wheezed as he said it and their eyes were on him in a second, one of them flashing a light into his eyes. Had he passed out? 

“I’m sorry?” The woman gave him a reassuring smile, stroking his hair.

He tried to move his hand, wanting to pull hers away, but it stayed glued at his side. “J-J-Jellybean.”

“Who’s that?” He thought he was giving her an angered look but his face was neutral. “Who is that, Forsythe?” _Jughead_. He blinked, wondering why she wasn’t apologizing for saying that was the name on his ID. 

“Sis-Sister.” He was shocked when he had managed to choke out the words, the paramedics eyes going somber. 

“The little girl?” _Yes, yes, that’s her! That’s her!_ He didn’t trust the woman at the scene's words. She wasn’t a doctor, she doesn’t know if Jellybean’s actually dead. There’s no way she’s actually dead, she cannot be dead because he’s not dead. “I’m so sorry,” _No, no, no! No, stop, no!_ “There was nothing we could do for her.” 

He let his eyes roll to look up and a scream got stuck in his throat. It had lodged itself there. He heard the monitors around him beeping and his chest started to close in on him before he began to wheeze hard. The paramedics all started to move frantically, jostling him as they shoved things over his head before the room was dark and all he saw was Jellybean. 

He couldn’t touch her, it was like she was just out of his grasp. He called out her name but, unlike at the car, she could hear him. She had turned around, her smile she always had on bright on her face as she skipped over to him. 

He had smiled at her, again trying to reach for her to hold her, to tell himself she was alive and this was a horrible nightmare, but she was out of his reach again, this time the fear in her eyes showing as she screamed and her skull shattered on a part of her head. “Juggie,” she cried.

“No.” He said, his chest heaving. “No, no, you’re okay, Jelly, you’re okay.” 

“Why?” She sobbed, stepping closer to him. He shook his head trying to squeeze his eyes shut but they would always open. “Why did you kill me?” 

“I didn’t do it! Jelly, I swear!” 

“Juggie, it hurts!” She screamed again and he sobbed, trying to reach for her again. 

“I didn’t mean for this to happen! This wasn’t supposed to happen!” He cradled his head, falling down to the floor. 

“Why did you kill me?!” The words were chanted all around him as they echoed everywhere, Jughead sobbing and screaming, trying to get them to go away.

~

Jughead shook on the bed vigorously, thrusting his head side to side as his hands fisted the blankets. “No! No, I didn’t do it! No!” 

Betty was startled awake by Jughead sitting up in bed quickly, covered in sweat and panting almost painfully hard. “Jug,” she touched his shoulders and he tensed before relaxing slightly. “What’s wrong?” He shook his head, slowly pulling his drenched t-shirt off and shivering. “God, Jug, you’re freezing.” His teeth started to chatter and she carefully wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, lying him back on the bed. 

His chest was still heaving and his eyes were still pained as he stared forward soundlessly. “Sh-She was there.” Betty laid down next to him, brushing hair off of his forehead that had stuck to his head because of sweat. “She kept… she kept s-saying I killed… I killed her.” He swallowed a sob, tears falling from his eyes. “I killed her,” Betty sighed, her heart breaking as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her chest. “I didn’t mean for any of it to happen, I didn’t, I swear. We-We just wanted to go to the park, that’s all.” He sobbed, clutching to her. 

“Jug, it’s not your fault, you know that. And Jellybean is safe now, she can never get hurt again. The wreck wasn’t your fault, you were just trying to do something nice for your sister and somebody had to ruin it.” He sniffled and sobbed, Betty slowly combing her fingers through his hair to try and get him to calm down. “It’s not your fault, it will never be your fault.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was an emotional roller coaster for jughead. but, i think this was probably one of my favorite chapters to write just because i got to go more in-depth with what happened during jughead and jellybean’s car accident.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty brings up a subject Jughead thinks they really shouldn’t even be discussing yet. It drives them both mad seeing as their skills at talking things over ran faulty again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

The days up until Kevin left came quickly. Betty had spent most of the time with him then spent the night with Jughead, which is when he seemingly needed her most. 

He was going through some spiked high of PTSD that he never really experienced before. Sure, he’s had the dreams. He’s had the good ones where he comes home and she’s there, 9-years-old and all, running up to hug him. He’s also had the dreams where she’s getting pulled away from him by some unimaginable black hole. But those mostly happened right after the accident. 

He had never experienced dreams as vivid as the ones he was having now. The crash always happened each time. He always ended up on the ground each time because, well, that’s how it was. But sometimes Jellybean would be in the car like how she was at the actual crash. Or she would be walking around, looking at herself in the car. Sometimes she was a paramedic, other times she was the frantic lady. It was really never the same. 

But the black abyss, the part where she screams and chants, that’s always there and it’s always the same. 

Jellybean always asks why he did what he did, he can never touch her, he always ends up sobbing and clutching his head, holding it between his knees, and he always wakes up panting as his chest burns and screams for him to calm down. 

Betty’s always there though. She’s always waiting with a blanket and open arms, ready to tell him it’s all okay. No matter how long it takes, she sits there and runs her fingers through his hair until he’s calm and sated. She lays him down when he’s ready like he’s a child and there’s a weird feeling of domesticity behind it for both of them. 

He was thankful for her because without her, at times, he doesn’t know what he’d do. He wonders why she had shown up on his doorstep, why she had been the one out of the many people who have knocked on his door that he fell in love with. 

~

The day Kevin had actually left was a sad one for Betty. It was Jughead’s turn to hold _her_ while _she_ cried. It was his turn to console _her,_ not the other way around for once. 

She had ended up getting over the loss of his presence quickly, the two of them falling back into their regular routines. 

Betty had started going on her runs with the dogs again every morning and Jughead would always come downstairs to her making something for breakfast. He would always interrupt her with a deep kiss that had her shoving him away after a few moments with a playful glare. 

He would do what he always did and would work outside until she would bring him a sandwich for lunch, sitting and talking with him until he absolutely had to start working again. Though it would always end with her whine of protest as she made her lips pouty, distracting him to the point of no return as he would carry her cautiously inside, dropping her on the couch to get her flustered and begging but never satisfying her need. 

She would huff in annoyance but would eventually find a book or continue the one she had already started, coming outside to sit on the front porch and read. She had said the balcony was too far away from the kitchen and that’s why she had switched places. He would tease her endlessly about how she just wanted an excuse to watch him work and she never agreed with it or denied it, she would simply shrug, enforcing her original reason with a blush high on her cheeks. 

After he was finished they would go back inside and Jughead would help her make whatever she was preparing for dinner that night. It was always a different job too, but it was never chopping vegetables. She had said she didn’t trust him with knives and she didn’t want him to hurt his hand again. He would always frown, acting like it hurt his feelings but would always end up getting her to laugh just moments later. 

At night Jughead would carry her to bed and makes sure she thoroughly comes undone. Afterwards, she usually tells him what other flowers and plants she wants to get for the house while he watches her with half lidded eyes, just completely grateful that he gets to listen to her late night babbles. 

The night terrors didn’t happen at all really anymore, but he would find himself waking up at odd hours of the night at times, checking to make sure Betty was okay. He couldn’t figure out why and he doesn’t think he ever will. He deemed it as just growing a random feeling that he needs to protect her; from what, he doesn’t know. 

~

Jughead woke up to Betty placing light kisses to his jaw and he smirked. “Good morning to you, too.” When he opened his eyes she smiled sheepishly, sitting back so she was kneeling. “Did you go on your run?” 

“Nope.” She said it happily and he furrowed his brows. “I was going to skip it because I want to have, like, a picnic date thing today for lunch.”

He frowned, rubbing his eyes. “That’s my thing I’m supposed to be planning. God, I suck at this.” 

“Then I can just pretend I have no idea about it and that it was all your idea.” He chuckled, shaking his head. 

“No, Betts. I just… I feel like I’m training you to be a housewife. You make me food, you clean, you just… I feel like I limitating you from what you can actually be doing.” 

“Oh, well, y-you’re not, if you must know.” He sighed, sitting up in the bed. “Really, Jug, you’re not keeping me away from anything I haven’t seen or done before. Believe it or not but staying here is, like, the most daring thing I’ve done in years.” 

“You’re serious?” She nodded, huffing as she sat down on the bed. 

“Jug, I don’t do anything, really. I wake up, I run, I come home, I shower, I go to work, I come home, I eat dinner, I shower again, then I go to bed. That is literally my whole entire day.” She sighed again, looking over at him. “So yes, maybe to you I look like I’m training to be a housewife but to me, this-this is a break. This is… relieving for me. I have no worries, I’m happy, I’m taking care of someone, everything I _want_ to do, you know.”

Jughead furrowed his brows, wincing a little. “You want to do this? You want to stay home and clean and cook and… shit?” 

“Well, yeah. When I have kids I want to be home, I want to be with them.” Jughead fell silent, his jaw clenching. “What?” 

“You want kids.” She watched him carefully for a moment before her breath came out in a short gasp.

She swallowed, looking away from him. “You don’t.” 

~

Betty had turned to hiding out for the next week, like she always did. Jughead had tried to talk to her after she had talked about kids, but she had grabbed her things and started to move them into the extra bedroom. He tried to talk to her as she did so but it was no use, she had just ignored him forcefully before she slammed the door in his face. His heartbroke into a million pieces when he heard her sob and he fought off the need to hide away himself.

He had a feeling things were going to be way too good to be true. They got together so smoothly, they had both had the same feelings for each other from day one, they make up too quickly when they fight, and their bodies fit together like a puzzle piece. _These were all warning signs_ he told himself constantly, but he couldn’t resist her and because of that, he now hates his decision. 

He wanted kids, he did, really. But the more and more he thought about it, the more and more he felt more unqualified to have any. His dad was an alcoholic, his grandfather had abandoned his dad, his great grandfather was never there until the end, and his great great grandfather was basically nonexistent. The Jones men made _terrible_ fathers and he couldn’t put an innocent child through that. It’s just not fair. 

Even with all this in his head, he still continued to work around the farm and force feed himself even if all food tasted so bland it all felt like it was going to come back up as soon as it went down. 

Every night he forced himself to sleep early so he could wake up before Betty went on her run, hoping to catch her but he never did. So he gave up on the fourth day, taking back his few extra hours of sleep. 

But on the ninth day of her avoiding him, he had come upstairs to go to bed but Betty was sitting on his bed and he tried not to react. He moved over to his desk chair, sitting down with a sigh. 

“Jughead, listen to me, please.” He clenched his jaw at the irony of how she repeated the same words he had said as she blatantly ignored him. “If this is because of what happened with Jellybean-”

“Oh, my God…!” He scoffed, shaking his head. “You think this is because of her? You think I don’t want kids because of what happened to my sister?” She swallowed thickly, clenching her jaw. “Not everything comes down to her!”

“I just thought-” 

“Well, stop. I do want kids… but I don’t want kids because my bloodline has a horrible time when it comes to kids. The dads… we suck. We’re the worst and I… I can’t put an innocent child through that.” It was her turn to scoff as she rolled her eyes. 

“You-You change that then. You don’t have to be your parents… nobody does. You don’t see me not wanting kids all because my mom is terrible, do you? That’s a lame excuse. Now if-if you had some… if it was because of your sister, I would understand. But because of, what, this random feeling that you _have_ to be like your family, you don’t want kids?” He could hear the disappointment in her voice and he slowly started to realize the stupidity of what he was saying. 

“Why are we even talking about this? We’ve been together for… a month?” 

She clenched her jaw, taking in a deep breath. “You can’t see it can you?”

He rolled his eyes, cursing under his breath. “See what? What the hell am I supposed to see?” She continued to open and close her mouth for long moments, seeming to never be able to settle on what she wanted to say. “God, Betty, I don’t have-”

“I love you.” He froze, giving her a shocked look. “I… it’s early but when I know things, I-I know and I also know that if I didn’t tell you now I would… I would never tell you.” He blinked at her, his jaw slacked. She watched him with bated breath, fighting back tears. “Jughead, say something.” 

He leaned back in the chair, watching the floor. “No. No, no, no, no, no. No-No-Nobody… no. No,” He shook his head, chanting the word over and over. “No, nobody… no,” 

“Jug, I-I do.” He shook his head, looking up at her with tears in his eyes.

“No, no you don’t. No-No one does. You - no, no, no.” He sniffled, Betty chewing her lip as she cried. “You-You-You… you’re only saying that because I’m here and because I’m… no. I am… no. Nobody loves me, ever.” 

“Jughead, _I do._ ” He shook his head, whimpering. “Jug, you’re not just… just a person. I love you and I mean it.”

“No, you don’t. Tomorrow you’ll-you’ll wake up and… you’ll realize your mistake.” Betty moved off of the bed, brushing hair off of his face. 

“I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone else before.” She brushed tears off of his cheeks, sighing. “You are worthy of love, Jughead. Let me do that. I don’t care if we’ve been together a month, I saw you and… I knew that this… I knew what I wanted. I want you, but Jug, I want kids, too. I know it’s really, _really_ early for this discussion but… I want a life with you in it, but that life also has kids in it.” 

He watched her, shaking his head. “You don’t love me, nobody does.” 

“Well, hell, Jughead, I’m not nobody! I love you! I do!” She sobbed and he swallowed thickly. “Stop telling me what I do and don’t feel, _please._ ” He sighed, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. “You don’t have to say it back, I don’t need you to say it back I just want you to believe me.” 

He sighed, sniffling. “I-I… I love you, too.” 

“Jug, don’t. Don’t tell me that if you don’t mean it.” He gripped her waist, pulling her closer to him as he moved to cup her cheeks. 

“I mean it. I love you, just like you love me. I… I may get splotchy at times, but I do. But Betts, we gotta make a compromise with the kids if we’re going to get anywhere with this.” She sighed, Jughead pulling her down into his lap. 

“I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t want to do and I don’t want to think that maybe you’ll change because… you’ve been through more than me and I feel like you have your life decisions made.” He sighed, shaking his head. 

“Y-You’re right. My excuse is… horrible. I may not turn out like my family, but what if I do? What if I have a kid and… I run, or I disconnect? I can’t do that to a poor child.” Betty sighed, biting her lip as she brushed hair off his forehead. 

“You won’t because you’re a good guy.” 

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “How can you say that?”

“I just… I know, Jug. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have let me stay here. If you weren’t, you would have… dare I say it, hurt me. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be taking the time to listen to me and talk this over with me.” He watched her carefully, chewing his cheek. “You are a good person, a _very_ good person. And we have a lot of time before we even have to come back to this - if we do.” 

“If?” She shrugged, averting his gaze. 

“I’m just talking. And, um… we also have to talk about me going home.” He let out a long exhale, looking away himself. “I have to go soon. As much as I love it here, I have to go back. You could visit me, or I could visit you. I just… I don’t want to lose you when I do go. You have to call, Jug. You can’t forget.”

“I can’t, Betts, and I won’t. And it’s going to be very fucking boring without you here.”

“Well, I’m not planning to leave for another few weeks so…” She smiled tinily at him and the corner of his mouth quirked up.

“We have time.” She nodded at him, kissing him quickly. “I want you to meet Archie, before you go. He’s… he’s important to me.” 

“Like how Kevin is to me?” He nodded and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Okay, I know I don’t have much say, but okay. If you want me to meet him, then I will. And I’m sorry for doing that hiding out thing.” 

He gave her another nod, tucking hair behind her ear. “I know you are, and you can’t help it. You’re fine, Betts, really.” 

~

Jughead smiled groggily as Betty curled into his chest, hitching her leg higher up on him as she stretched, whining. He kissed the top of her head, thankful to have her back in his arms. The last few days were testy and the conversations they had tested them even more, but they had made up and that’s what mattered to him. 

“Ugh, what time is it?” Betty hid her face in his chest, trying to hide her face from the sun. 

“I’m not sure.” She sighed, his arm squeezing tightly around her. “You want to do that… picnic lunch thing we didn’t get to do last week?”

She looked up at him, a small tired smile on her face. He looked down at her sheepishly, a blush high on his cheeks. “Are you asking me on a date?”

He shrugged, twisting her hair around his finger lightly. “Maybe…” She sat up and smiled, holding the sheet to her chest. “Do you want to go?” She nodded excitedly, kissing him deeply. 

~

Jughead smoothed the blanket down over the grass, Betty humming as she paced in front of him, a blindfold over her eyes. “Are you finished yet?” 

He chuckled at her, standing up off the ground. “You’re very impatient today, Betts.” 

She scoffed, crossing her arms. “Well wouldn’t you be? I want to know what’s happening!” He chuckled again, turning her around so she was facing him. “Plus, this blindfold is making my eyes sweat.”

“You’re crying?”

“No, they’re, like, sweating. You know, sweat, Jug.” He rolled his eyes playfully, holding back his laugh as he slowly untied the blindfold and pocketed it. “Am I allowed to see?” He turned and she did the same, gasping a little. “I know this was my idea and I helped you a lot but… Jug,” She looked over at him with a pout, cupping his cheeks. “Thank you, for everything. This, this is more than I could ever even imagine.”

He smirked at her cocikly and she grinned herself. “Did you doubt me?” 

“No, never. I just… you don’t seem like the person to do this - even with a push.” He chuckled, Betty biting her lip. “I love you.”

He couldn’t hide the large smile on his face as he nodded. “I know, I know you do. I love you, too.” It was her turn to give him a large smile and she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him quickly. “Okay, I brought you wine.” She cheered happily, clapping her hands. 

They ate as they had light conversations, both of them laughing more than they had in weeks. After some time Jughead had started placing light kisses to Betty’s shoulder, getting her sigh.

“No one else comes up here, right?” He propped his head up on his hand, his other toying with the buttons on the front of her dress. 

“I’ve been here for six years and I’ve come up here so many times I don’t think I can count on my hands, yet I’ve never once seen or heard someone else up here.” He leaned down, brushing his lips over hers. “So, no. No one else comes up here.” He kissed her deeply, his hand slowly working on the buttons. He waited until they were all open to push her dress around her sides, pulling back to run his eyes over her. “You’re beautiful, Betts. Don’t you ever let anyone tell you different.” 

She blushed, Jughead leaning back down to give her a languid kiss as his hand moved down as he pushed her legs apart. She pulled back with a gasp when he ran his hand over her, her eyes meeting his as she bit her lip. He held her gaze as he worked her, her eyes rolling back as she moaned. 

After a few moments she gripped his bicep tightly, sweat beading on her forehead. “Jug, I’m…” She cut herself off with a moan, pushing her head back. “Jug!” She came with a cry, her legs shaking as her muscles fluttered around his fingers. He worked her through it until she calmed, pulling his hand away. She pulled his head down, distracting him with a kiss as her hand undid his belt. 

He pulled back, looking down at her hands. “Betts,” 

“Shh, just… trust me.” He sighed as he looked back at her, kissing her roughly as he rolled her on top of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> betty is low key manipulative. are we going to talk about that or...?


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archie comes to visit. While he’s there, Betty suddenly gets a swarm of emotion and Jughead begins to worry, believing it is all because of Archie. The real reason upsets and hurts both of them, though they choose to ignore it and move on with their life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will now be updated on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Jughead laughed, kissing Betty’s forehead as she frowned. “It hurt my butt.” She laughed even as tears fell from her eyes, Jughead clutching his sides as he fell backwards and continued to laugh. “That’s not nice!” She hit his chest and he caught her hand, panting as he calmed down. 

“You’re adorable, you know that?” He wiped at the tears on her cheeks, sitting up. “I’m only laughing because I’ve done that at least fifty times, I’m not laughing because you’re hurt.” 

“I know, I just feel like I’m going to have a bruise the size of jupiter on my ass for eleven years.” He laughed again, Betty doing the same as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, kissing the side of her head. She sniffled and wiped her face, Jughead standing up before helping her up. “It hurts.” 

He chuckled, picking her up bridal-style. She yelped in surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck. “As much as I love you, I don’t want to listen to you complain about your butt all the way to the bedroom.” She huffed and laughed a little as she threw her head back. “You know Archie comes next week, right?”

“I remember you mentioning it.” He closed the front door and locked it, giving her an amused look. “Do you know when?”

“Nope, it’s all up to him. It’s whenever he can get off of work.” She nodded along with his words, turning the light off for him as he walked past it on his way up the stairs. “You’re still okay with it? You’re fine with him staying with us?”

“Jug, it’s your house, not mine.” 

“Yes, but Betts… if you want me to wait until you’re gone-” She placed a finger over his mouth and he froze. 

“You want me to meet him so I want to meet him. I’m fine with him being here.” She brushed hair off of his forehead, giving him a large smile. “I mean it!” 

“Okay, and if anything feels off while he’s here, and I mean _anything_ , you tell me, okay?” She gave him a nod, kissing him quickly. “Okay, butthurt, bedtime.” She scoffed, Jughead laughing. 

~

“Hey, I’ll be back in like forty minutes, okay?” Betty looked up from her book, nodding. 

He kissed her, turning away. “Wait, where are you going?” 

“Town. I’ll be back before you know it, trust me.” She looked at him nervously, biting her lip. He walked back up the porch steps, cupping her chin. “Betts, this isn’t your first time being here without me.” 

“Yeah, but you were, like, barely a mile away. If I screamed you would be able to hear me.” He sighed, sitting down in the chair next to her. “Will you take my phone?” He furrowed his brows and she closed the book she was reading. “You know, so if I need you, I can call.” She pulled it from her pocket, holding it out to him. He looked at it questionably then back to her with an almost confused look. “P-Please, Jug. Please.” 

“Nothings going to hurt you while I’m gone. This is one of the safest places you could be.” He watched her as tears formed in her eyes, Betty now shoving the device into his hand. 

“Please, Jug. Just… please.” He cupped her cheek and she leaned into the touch, taking in a deep breath and letting her eyes fall closed, slowly opening them again. “It’ll make me feel better if you have my phone.” 

He nodded, sighing. “Fine, just this once.” She nodded thankfully, Jughead kissing her slowly until the fear on her mind was put on the backburner. “I love you, and I will be back.” She gave him another nod, watching him walk away and drive off. 

She walked inside after a few moments, locking the door before hurrying to the backdoor to make sure that one was locked as well. She grabbed the phone after, pacing with it in her hand as she listened for any random sounds.

After she had made herself thoroughly paranoid, she forced herself to take in deep breaths as she sat down on the couch, staring down at the floor. She held the phone tightly to her chest, going through breathing techniques her therapist from high school had taught her. She continued to glance down at the phone every few minutes, hoping he would call. 

For what felt like hours she paced and sat and breathed and over thought, fighting away the need to call Jughead at every odd breath she took. Just as she _wanted_ to call and was a moment away from doing so, the door opened and she let out a sharp exhale. She hurried over to him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. 

“Hey, hey. See? You’re all okay, Betts.” She sniffled, Jughead giving Archie a look. He nodded and walked away, off into the kitchen. 

“That was really only forty minutes?” He pulled her face back with a chuckle, wiping her tears. 

“God forbid if anything had happened, you had the dogs. They would never in a million years let anything happen to you, trust me.” He kissed her forehead, pulling her into a hug. “They love you just as much as I do.” She stepped back with a sigh, wiping her cheeks. “Now come on. I gotta introduce you two.”

“Oh my god, he’s here? I’ve already made a fool of myself!” Jughead laughed, squeezing her shoulder. 

“Betts, you cannot make a fool of yourself in front of him. He forgets, like, everything in two seconds, trust me.” He smiled, rubbing her shoulders as he walked her towards the kitchen. She froze, turning towards him.

“Is he going to judge me? Am I… will he like me? What if he doesn’t like me? Are you going to leave me if he doesn’t like me?” Jughead sighed, shaking his head.

“I will not leave you if he doesn’t like you because there’s no way in hell he’s not going to like you. You are _the hardest_ person to dislike, Betts.” She chewed her lip nervously, twisting her hands. “I’m right here, he’s not going to do anything. Archie loves everyone, too. Sometimes it’s a little scary.” 

She took in a deep breath, nodding. “Okay, fine.” He gave her a smile, the two of them walking forward into the kitchen. 

“Archie, get out of the fridge.” His head popped up out from behind the fridge door, a sandwich hanging from his mouth and a beer in his hand. “Betty, Archie.” 

“Hi,” she said it quietly, hiding partially behind Jughead’s body. 

Archie nodded, taking the sandwich out of his mouth. “Hey, great food by the way. He needs some help keeping stocked sometimes.” 

“Archie,” Jughead sighed as Archie chuckled, walking away. 

“What does that mean?” 

“Nothing, I just… when I first got here, I needed to be told what to do, you know? I needed some… help getting along.” She nodded, resting her head on his arm. “You okay?”

“I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know why, I just am.” He wrapped his arm around her, Betty’s wrapping around his waist. “I think I wore myself out by panicking when you left.”

“Well I’m home now and we have to find some way to ignore him while he watches football for the next six hours.” Jughead tipped her chin up and he scanned over her face. 

“One football game is not _that_ long, Jug.” 

“He’s not allowed to watch them at home.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Now, can we make my suggestion a reality?” She laughed, kissing him before stepping back. 

“At least have the decency to take me upstairs.” She laughed as he picked her up, the two of them laughing like teenagers as they ran upstairs. 

~

Jughead woke up the next morning, kissing Betty’s head. She stretched against him, blinking awake. “No run this morning?” He asked it groggily and she sighed. 

“I don’t really want to, not with him here.” He looked down at her questionably, furrowing his brows. 

“Betts, are you okay? Is he making you uncomfortable?” She sat up, sighing. 

“No, I just…” She sighed again, toying with the blanket as she looked away from his eyes. “I don’t know.” 

“Betty, if you want him to go-”

“No, no, no.” She sighed again, tucking hair behind her ear. “I just… it’s kind of weird. I don’t know him and I’m so used to it just being me and you so it’s kind of an adjustment. He’s fine, it’s not him at all.” 

“You’re sure?” She nodded, kissing his cheek. 

“I will even go make you two pancakes to prove it.” She got out of bed happily, leaving the room like she hadn’t just raised a few red flags in Jughead’s mind. 

He waited a few moments before he followed her downstairs and regretted it instantly. He had found her at the kitchen table, her left hand on her chest as she sobbed into her right. He sat next to her in a hurry, Betty’s eyes panicked. 

“Jug,” she sobbed again, getting stuck on trying to hiccup in a breath for a second. “I c-can’t-” She sobbed and gasped, Jughead’s own eyes widening in fear. 

He remembered her mentioning something about panic attacks when they were laying in bed one night. He didn’t know why the subject had come up, but it did, and he was scrambling to figure out what she had said. 

She continued to sob and hiccup, gasping painfully for air. “Hey, y-you’re breaching tech-technique thingy.” She shook her head, still gasping as she cried. “I-I’ll do it with you, okay?” She sobbed again but nodded, Jughead doing the same. “Okay, okay.” He let out a deep breath himself, fighting not to reach for her hands. “Deep breath in, r-remember? Through-Through your nose.” 

She nodded, doing what he said shakily but giving up with another sob. “I-I-I… J-Jug,” 

“No, Betty,” he reached for her hand that sat on the table cautiously, getting her to look at him. “You _can_. I _know_ you can. Betts, come on. Deep breath.” He did it slowly with her, nodding. “Hold it,” she fought a sob as she did so, tears still falling slowly from her eyes. “Now breathe out.” She started to do it quickly and he squeezed her hand, shaking his head. “Slow, love.” She went slower, hiccuping slightly when she finished. “Again,” 

They sat there for ten minutes, Jughead guiding her until she had finally calmed enough to where she could inhale and exhale without hiccuping painfully. 

“See?” He asked, giving her a small smile. “You did it.” She nodded, lowering her head to rest on his hand. She cried a little more silently this time, letting out a shaky sigh when she picked her head up again and wiped at her eyes. 

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t… I-I have no clue what-what happened.” Jughead moved his chair back, motioning for Betty to come to him. She did so with another sigh, resting her head under his chin. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no.” She picked her head up, watching him with sorry eyes. “Don’t you ever apologize for that. You can’t control it, Betts. It just happens and when it does, I’m right here, you don’t have to hide.” She nodded, Jughead sighing. “But… I gotta ask, it’s not Archie, right?” 

“No, Jug. None of this is his fault. I think… I don’t know. I’m just overwhelming myself for no reason.” She cupped his cheek, biting her lip. “As much as I hate to say this, I think it’s time I start thinking about going home.” 

Jughead sighed, swallowing thickly and looking down at his hands. He waited a moment before looking back up to her face with a small scoff. “Yeah, yeah, of course.”

She brushed her thumb over his cheekbone and he leaned into the touch. “You’re sure this is okay?”

“Betty, yes. This is your decision and-and I knew it was coming. It’s not like you can stay here forever, you have a life away from me. And… I can… I think I might stay with Archie for a few weeks anyway.” He chuckled, looking back down to his hands. “The dogs and I can-can take a road trip.”

“Jug, I’m sorry, it’s just-”

“Betts,” he grabbed her hands with his own, giving her a small smile. “Don’t apologize, I understand. This… you are not home here and-and that’s okay. It’s my home, I-I mean if you want it to be yours too, that’s great, too. But you live in LA and I am not going to force you to stay here.” She nodded and laid her head back under his chin. 

“I don’t want to go, but… I want to see my dad and… the beach. As much as I hate it there, I still love it there. It’s where I grew up.” He squeezed her, kissing her head. 

“I know. You don’t have to explain why you need to go home to me.” He looked out the kitchen window, neither of them hearing Archie slowly walk into the kitchen. “We have phones and you can call me whenever, I will just have to be inside.” She giggled a little, Jughead chuckling. “And, um, I could always come see you. I bet the dogs would-would love it there. Or you could always come here and visit, too.” 

She sat up then, smiling at him. “You’d do that? Come see me?” 

He furrowed his brows, adjusting the both of them. “Yes, of course I would. Betty, I know I panicked when… you know. I know I did, and I hate that I did that, but when I said it back, I meant it. I love you and I don’t want to lose you over some dumb distance thing that can _easily_ be worked around.” 

She smiled happily, clapping her hands. “Thank you!” She kissed him, squealing softly. “Yay! I love you!” He chuckled, kissing her back more deeply before they pulled apart to Archie clapping. 

“Looked straight out of The Notebook or whatever sap shit V watches.” He grabbed a bag of chips, popping one into his mouth. “Very cute.” He said it around a mouthful, shuffling away. 

“Is that his breakfast?” Betty cringed and Jughead laughed, nodding.

~

Betty skipped outside, finding Jughead working on his truck. “Do you have paint? Not like acrylic paint, like… gallon cans. A-And paint brushes and those rolly things.” 

He straightened up and turned towards her, furrowing his brows as he wiped his hands on a towel. “Um, there might be some in the shed-” 

“Thank you!” She smiled wide, going up on her tiptoes and placing a kiss to his cheek before skipping off again. He chuckled, shaking his head. 

He finished what he was doing then went inside. He checked throughout the downstairs, confused as to where Archie and Betty were. So he walked upstairs next, walking into his room and raising his eyebrows. 

Betty turned, her cheeks pink. “I… It’s too dark in here sometimes and even Archie agreed that you needed some light in here. Plus you still have your blackout curtains so it won’t be too bright.” Archie stopped what he was doing, watching the two of them with a raised brow as Jughead sauntered over to Betty, his face unreadable. “Please don’t be upset, we can always change it back. I-I’ll even buy the paint - it’ll be the best one money can buy.” She cowered a little under his gaze, swallowing. “Promise.” It was whispered and Jughead sent Archie a glance.

Archie nodded and hurried from the room, closing the bedroom door. “You’re okay?” She nodded, still watching him carefully. “Okay, good. And, uh, you still have to let the first coat dry, right? So we can finish this later and maybe go get you some more because there is no way in hell less than half a gallon of paint will cover this whole room.” 

She gave him a shocked look, nodding excitedly. “You’re not mad?”

“No, the grey was bland anyway.” She laughed, Jughead kissing her forehead. “We also have to drop Archie off at the train station.” 

“What? I thought he wasn’t leaving until the end of the week?” She frowned, gasping. “Is he leaving because of my panic attack from Tuesday because that wasn’t his fault, I swear. I was just… that wasn’t his-”

“Betty,” she stopped talking and sighed, watching him and chewing her lip. “His wife wants him home, they have… there’s things they’re trying to achieve.” 

“Oh, okay. Okay, that’s better than me scaring him off.” He chuckled, shaking his head. 

~

They had dropped Archie off first, Jughead bidding him a farewell and a ‘see you later’, Betty just giving him a wave as the train boarded. They bought the paint after, Betty also forcing Jughead to buy new brushes and paint rollers. He, of course, did as she said, wanting to make her last week with him as enjoyable as he possibly could.

When they had gotten home Betty made a quick dinner, pressing that as soon as they were done she wanted to start on the second coat of paint. But the plan was quickly shot down, Jughead thoroughly distracting her. 

Betty had woken up the next morning with a groan, Jughead chuckling. 

“You know,” he kissed at her jaw and she moved her head to the side to give him better access to her neck as he continued to move his kisses down her body. “We could have been done with your room by now if you hadn’t done this all night.” 

He chuckled against her chest, smirking up at her. “I heard _zero_ complaints last night.” She rolled her eyes, Jughead leaning up over her and kissing her roughly. Her legs moved and wrapped around his waist, the kiss getting more heated with each panting breath they took. 

Her head fell back as he sucked a bruise into her neck, his hips rolling into hers. She let out a breathy moan as he placed open mouth kisses down her body. “Mnh-mnh, Jug, I need _you_. Right now, before I explode.” He chuckled against her ribs, leaning back over her as he lined his hips up with hers. 

“I love you.” He whispered it in her ear as he slowly pushed forward, Betty letting out a sharp gasp as her nails dug into his back. He let out a grunt of almost pain that was doused in pleasure, moving his hips in a stubborn pace that had both of them holding back. He locked their lips in a kiss, swallowing Betty’s moans. 

They worked each other until they both crashed over the edge, Betty holding onto Jughead like he was going to float away until she got caught in a giggle fit. He had given her a confused look which had only made her laugh harder. “Bailey,” she laughed harder, Jughead rolling her on top of him. “Oh, the poor thing. She just…” She laughed again, calling the dog and holding her face when she came over. “I’m so sorry you had to watch that. You forget it, okay? I would never intentionally do that in front of you because that is not the type of person I am.” 

Jughead put his hand behind his head as he watched her, smiling hard. It was ridiculous, how quickly she had taken him off of his feet. It took one glance, one knock on his door, one tilt of her obnoxious sunglasses for him to have his heart locked down by a woman he still barely knew. It all just felt ridiculous.

In middle school he watched far too many people try and fall in love and get their naive, young hearts broken because they hadn’t believed anyone who said they were too young. In high school he watched much the same happen, but he had also watched so many people fall in love and actually last and that alone petrified him because he wasn’t one of those people. He was one of the few who refused to date others due to pure fear out of them hurting him. 

But in college he had become a hound and regretted it painfully. It caused him his sister and his family, and he was still working to get over the holes it had caused in his everyday life. Then Betty came in and everything snapped into place. Everyone who saw him would call him crazy for having thoughts of a life with her forever after only knowing her for coming up on three months. Though he would ignore them and push on, telling them life was too short to be afraid of moving too quickly. 

“Okay!” She clapped her hands and smiled, snapping Jughead from his love haze. “Your room, now!” She hit his thigh, putting on his t-shirt as he smirked, admiring the view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was rereading this today and ngl... it was kind of cute at the end. quite proud of myself. also surprise ig for posting on Wednesday’s now.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty chooses that leaving is her only option despite how much it pains both of them. Over time, they talk on the phone and their long distance relationship seems to flourish, though they always wish the other was there. So, Jughead decided to execute a high-proof plan to crash her holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Betty sniffled as she closed her suitcase, giving Jughead a deep frown. “I don’t want to go.” 

He brushed hair from her face that had fallen loose from her ponytail, tucking it behind her ear. “You can always stay.” 

“But I can’t.” She said it softly, leaning into his touch. “I want to, but I can’t.” He nodded, kissing her slowly and deeply. She whimpered, moving to straddle his waist.

Their tears mingled on their lips, Betty fighting around a silent sob. Her hands worked to undo his belt buckle, Jughead lifting his hips up off the floor so she could push them down to his thighs. His own hands bunched her dress around her waist, pushing her panties to the side as he lined himself up with her.

She sank down on him slowly, his head falling back against the bed while Betty gripped the sheet beside his head tightly. They had both sat for a moment, savoring the feeling of each other. She moaned when he moved his hips up, his hands holding her waist as he helped her find a rhythm that was easy for her to work with. 

She had kissed him again, this time slower and more languid than before. Her heart was pounding in her ears the more she moved, pulling back to watch Jughead’s hand snake between them. “Oh, god, I’m close, Jug.” 

He kissed her again, his free hand knotting into her hair. “I got you, love.” He said it through gritted teeth, his hips snapping up into her. “I got you, let go.” She held his eyes as the small band inside her snapped and she came with a loud moan, her head dropping to his shoulder. 

Jughead followed seconds later, Betty sobbing as she fell limp in his arms. He held back a cry himself, his arms holding her as tightly as he could. He breathed her in, both of them calming themselves from the high they were on. 

“Betts,” he rubbed her back lightly, coaxing her head up off his shoulder. He cupped her face and wiped her tears, fighting his own. “Lets get cleaned up and go to bed, okay?” She nodded with a shaky exhale, sniffling. 

~

Betty rested her cheek on her fist, watching Riverdale fade away behind her as her and Jughead drove to the airport. Her heart was stinging in her chest and her stomach was in her throat. She didn’t want to leave, but at the same time she knew she had to. 

She was supposed to be there for one night, two tops. But that had turned into three months in no time and she now found herself so crazily in love she would do anything for him. She constantly told herself that the house was his, it was the home he made for himself, not her or them together. As much as she loved being there and being with him, it wasn’t her home. Her home was in LA, everything she knew was there, even if she was somehow coming to know Riverdale better. 

Her heart would twist everytime she thought about him alone in the house, just the dogs there to offer him comfort. It would hurt more though as she imagined him alone in the dark, walking around as he did sometimes. He had said he always found some sort of peace while doing it. 

She would also find him on the balcony some nights, a cigarette burning in his hands as he talked aimlessly to the sky - more so to Jellybean. She had caught him doing that often, mostly when she had first gotten there and then again more frequently when things between them would change. She always wondered if he looked to her for help when he would get lost, seeing as he really has no one else to turn to besides Archie. 

The thoughts broke her heart and she quickly wiped away a tear that slid down her cheek when Jughead cleared his throat. “Um,” his voice was shaky and he tried to steady it by clearing his throat again. “We-We’re close.” She gave him a nod, turning back to look out the window and taking in a deep breath and wiping at her face. She stared down at her hands as he pulled into the parking lot, putting the truck in park.

They sat for many minutes, both unmoving, not wanting to face what was about to happen. Betty fought the tears that wanted to fall, reminding herself they said no to doing that. This wasn’t an ending, they would see each other again, they have to see each other again. 

Jughead sighed and it grabbed her attention, her eyes moving to the side of his head. “If you want to make it, we have to go.” 

“Yeah, okay.” She sniffled, closing her eyes for a moment and just taking in the memories from her time with him. It felt like a door was being slammed in her face and she felt terrible for putting so much emotional baggage onto him from her because she couldn’t handle the thought of having to say goodbye. 

But she forced herself back together, stepping out of the truck. Jughead seemed to be lost in the moment just as much as she had, seeing as he was standing and trying to calm himself. The closing of her door seemed to wake him up from his haze and he hurried to grab her bag from the back. 

She took it from him with a thin-lipped smile, following him inside. His shoulders were hunched and he seemed to swallow into himself, his hands in his pockets. He stayed with her until her plane was called to be boarded, the two of them giving each other pained glances. 

She sucked in a breath, biting her lip as tears flooded her eyes. “Hey, we agreed not to cry.” 

“I can’t.” She sobbed, Jughead holding her as she clutched to him. “I don’t want to go, I don’t want to leave you.” He picked her head up, smoothing his hands over her face. 

“I’ll come to LA as soon as I can, but that’s still not until…” He clenched his jaw, sighing. 

“I want to be able to see you. Yes, words can paint a picture but Jug, I _need_ to be able to see you.” He nodded, making a mental note to talk to Archie about wifi since he was a tech wiz.

They called her plane again and they both stood, Jughead cupping her cheeks. “I love you and I am not going to forget you. I’ll call you as soon as your plane lands, I mean it. It’s, what, a six hour flight?” She nodded and he shrugged. “So here it’ll be… almost 6:30, and I… you can…” He sighed, cursing under his breath when tears escaped his eyes. He smiled at Betty’s giggle, looking at her. “You’ll be okay, and we’re going to make this work.” 

She gave him a small nod, Jughead pulling her into a kiss that he tried to pour all his emotions into. He pulled her into one last tight hug, letting her go reluctantly when they called the last call for boarding. He watched her walk away, his stomach suddenly churning. He stayed around until the plane took off, leaving and feeling like thirty pounds of bricks. 

~

Jughead furrowed his brows, rolling his eyes. “This is why I don’t have a phone. Why the fuck do I want to pay almost one hundred dollars a month for what? A piece of shitty plastic that’ll turn to shit in a few months when a new one is made?” 

“You sound like my dad.” Jughead frowned at Archie and he just smiled, biting into the cookie he had. “And it’s not like you don’t have the cash to pay for the bill anyway.” 

“No, that’s a stored away fund. It’s… no.” 

Archie gave him a flabbergasted look, his mouth slacked. “Dude, that’s, like, 3,600 extra dollars a month though.” 

Jughead rolled his eyes, setting the phone down on the dining table and leaning back, crossing his arms. “It’s almost 5,000 now.” 

“What?!” Archie’s eyes were wide, his mouth basically falling to the floor. “She pays you $5,000 a month?! For what?!” 

“I don’t know!” Jughead clenched his jaw, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Ever since the court… ever since they wouldn’t pay out, she’s doing it. I’ve moved banks so many times but she always finds me so it goes straight into a savings account because I don’t want her money - her blood money. She’s… she pays me like I can… like it will bring Jelly back and it won’t. Nothing will.” 

Archie chewed the corner of his mouth, looking across the table at Jughead. “But it’s a lot of money-”

“You’re not going to tell me what I can do with that money until you go through exactly what I went through, understand me?” Archie nodded, Jughead rubbing Bailey’s head when she walked over and sat beside him. “She killed Jellybean and she thinks money can fix it. You know how hard that is? Everytime I check my bank account, the statement is there. I just want to forget that day but I can’t. I never will be able to because of her and I don’t know what it will take to get her to stop.” 

“Hey, just focus on Betty. You have her now, y-you’re not alone anymore.” Jughead sighed and shook his head, clenching his jaw. 

“Betty only helps so much. There’s only…” He sighed again, rubbing a hand over his face. “I just wonder what it would be like if she was alive. If I had just listened. She would have been nine, she would have been in fourth grade. She would have played… I don’t know.”

“Soccer probably.” Jughead looked up at him, giving him a watery smile and nodding. 

“Yeah, soccer.” He let out a chuckle, the room falling silent. 

Archie cleared his throat, sitting up in his seat. “Have you talked to Betty today?” 

“Yeah, this morning before her run.” He rubbed Bailey's head again, propping his head up on his fist. “How’s Veronica?” 

Archie shrugged, standing up. “You want a beer?” Jughead nodded, their conversation forgotten. 

~

Jughead chuckled and rolled his eyes, rubbing at them. “Betts, it’s a cat and it’s alive.”

“Yes, but Jug, you should have seen it! It just ran and I think it seriously faced death!” Betty explained the story in almost a panicked voice and he couldn’t help but smirk as he listened to her. “Did you get your phone yet? I want to see you, Jug.” 

He sighed, sitting up in his bed. “I did,” she squealed happily and he felt his cheeks start to hurt because of how hard he was smiling. “I don’t have a number yet though. I’m letting Archie mess with it and stuff because honestly I have no clue what to do anymore. When I had a phone in high school I didn’t even use it that much.”

“You didn’t have Instagram or anything?” Betty’s voice sounded almost shocked. 

“I didn’t say that, I just said I didn’t use it much.” 

“So… you _did_ have Instagram?” He chuckled and he could hear Betty smile.

“As much as I love you, you’re not going to get it.” She scoffed and sighed in defeat. He chuckled, rubbing his eyes again. “Bett’s, it’s almost 3am. I have to go to sleep.” 

“Oh, shoot.” He smiled at her muffled words, knowing she was glancing at a clock. “I’m so sorry, Jug, I didn’t even realize how late it was.” 

“Don’t apologize, I’m not complaining, Betts.” He yawned, clearing his throat. “Call me when you wake up?”

“Of course!” He winced a little at her small shout but rubbed it off. “I love you.” 

“I love you. Goodnight.” She repeated the word and he ended the call, sighing as he dropped the phone onto his nightstand. 

~

“Is this _actually_ going to work? ‘Cause I’m not calling until I know for sure it’s not going to cut out in the middle of… you know.” Archie laughed over the phone, Jughead scrolling through the other phone in his hand. 

“Yes, it will work. You have good wifi so it shouldn’t cut out. Plus, you could sit right next to the router if you’re so worried, you live alone.” 

“Um, no, I have dogs.” Archie scoffed, shaking his head at Jughead’s words. “Betty always says it can scar them mentally and I’ve already watched her apologize to Bailey once, _I_ don’t want to have to do that.” 

“Oh my god, seriously?” Archie sounded almost disappointed and Jughead just shrugged even though he knew he couldn’t see him. “That’s ridiculous.” 

“Nothing she does is ridiculous. Nothing she believes in is ridiculous. She just respects privacy and her dignity, you know? Not all of us want a crowd, Arch.” Jughead could almost hear Archie’s eye roll through the phone as he snickered. 

“That’s hardly true. You two are loud enough for a whole street to hear you two.” It was Jughead’s turn to scoff and Archie to snicker. “Um, speaking of Betty, you have to call her soon, don’t you?” 

Jughead glanced at a clock, nodding. “Yeah. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” 

“Okay, don’t have too much fun.” Jughead rolled his eyes as Archie laughed, ending the call. 

He put the phone in his hand back on the table, taking his other phone and walking upstairs with it. He turned it back on from where he had powered it off, waiting a moment until he was basically blinded by it. 

After he had gotten over the spots that formed in his eyes, he found the FaceTime button and let out a sigh. He wondered why he was shaking as his thumb rested just above Betty’s contact. 

With a deep breath, he hit it, cringing at the noise it made. But she answered quickly and every fear he had melted away. “Hey.” Her bright smile made his heart race and he couldn’t help but mirror it. “God, I’ve missed seeing you.”

She bit her lip, nodding. “You didn’t have to do this, you know. I don’t want you wasting money on me.” 

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Betts, I would pay a million dollars if I had to just so I could see you. Even if it is through a tiny little screen, it’s worth it until we _actually_ see each other again.” She smiled harder, giggling a little. “Which will be soon, I promise because it’s only been two weeks and it sucks.” 

~

“Look at this.” Betty turned the phone around and Jughead chuckled. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Oh, it’s gorgeous, but look at this.” He turned the phone around to face out the window, Betty laughing herself. “Look at all that snow, so great, huh?” 

“Well, you have white snow, I got white sand. It’s the same thing.” He scoffed, putting his bowl in the sink. 

“I thought you weren’t a fan of the beach.” She turned the phone back around, nodding.

“I’m not, but I ran here today because… I’m not sure why, actually. Maybe it was because you get snow for Christmas and I get this and I _really_ miss the snow. You and Kev have both been showing it off.” 

Jughead scoffed. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who enjoys the snow.” 

Betty shrugged, drinking from her water bottle. “It’s pretty and I miss it.” 

“You could always come visit. You know, snow does last until, like, February, sometimes even March.” She chewed her lip, sighing. “But if you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll find a way to get to you soon, love.” 

She smoothed her hair back, sitting down on a bench. “I’m sorry it’s just… I _hate_ flying and I still haven't gotten a new car. I’m still not over my flight from five months ago. If I wasn’t so deathly afraid of flying, I would be there in a heartbeat, Jug, I mean it.” 

“Betty, I know you would. And it’s fine, I hate flying, too. I understand,” He gave her a smile and she still chewed her lip nervously. “You don’t have to explain why you don’t want to do something to me. If you don’t want to do it, you don’t want to do it, it’s simple.” She nodded and Jughead smiled. “So, what are your plans for the day?”

~

“Merry Christmas Eve-Eve!” Betty smiled happily over the phone and Jughead chuckled. “I wish you were here.” He sighed, nodding. 

“I know, I wish you were here, too. Or I was there.” He chuckled nervously as he eyed the packed bag by his dresser, rubbing the back of his neck. “What’re your plans for Christmas?”

“The usual. I go to my dads Christmas Eve night, my sister and her family come, we eat dinner, me and her twins make cookies, we go to sleep, wake up, open presents, eat breakfast, then I go home. Once I get home I call my mom and tell her all about it while also getting scolded for not coming to New York but then I promise her I’ll be there for mother’s day and it all ends well.” She sighed, giving him a smile. “Those are my plans. What about you?”

“Sleep.” 

She frowned. “That’s sad, and boring.” 

“Well what am I supposed to do? It’s not like I have family here and I got the dogs. We celebrate silently together.” She still frowned but shrugged. “Betts, I’m all good. I don’t need you feeling bad for me because I’m alone on Christmas.”

“That makes me feel even worse!” He chuckled, sitting up. “You’re never supposed to put it into a sentence, that makes me think of everything all over again.”

“My bad.” He smiled and she did the same. “I gotta go, love. I have to… I have to get to work.” She pouted and he shook his head. “No, that’s not going to work this time.” 

“But Jug!” 

“No, I’m not listening. I have to get to work. I love you and we’ll talk tonight, I promise.” She huffed, rolling her eyes.

“Fine. I love you, too.” He smirked, Betty ending the call. He got up out of bed, going into the bathroom and taking a quick shower. 

Afterwards he got dressed and threw his toiletries into a bag, walking back into his bedroom and shoving them into his already full suitcase. He closed it again, rubbing Scout’s head when he walked into his bedroom. “You ready for a road trip, buddy?” 

~

Jughead’s phone rang beside him and all three of the dogs' heads came up. He shoved the fry he had into his mouth, grabbing the phone and answering it as he came to a stop at a red light. 

“Hey, Betts. You’re calling earlier than usual.” 

“Oh, yeah, I’m just bored. Are you busy?” He wiped his hands, putting the phone on speaker. 

“Nope, just driving back from town with Scout, Bailey and Hotdog.” 

She gasped and he furrowed his brows. “I’m not distracting you am I? Be careful Jughead.” He chuckled and she huffed. “I’m serious!” 

“Betty,” he laughed a little, popping another fry into his mouth. “I’m a great multitasker.” 

“Jug, this isn’t a joke. I don’t want you or the dogs getting hurt.” He cleared his throat, adjusting himself in his seat.

“Love, I’m fine. I’m being careful, I swear.” She sighed over the phone and he knew she was still uneasy. “I’m not holding the phone, my eyes are on the road, the view is clear and my lights are brand new so they’re bright. I’m safe, Betts, I swear. I wouldn’t lie to you.” 

“I know you wouldn’t I just… I really miss you, especially now. I hate the thought of you being alone.” He gasped to speak but she talked over him. “Ah, don’t you even say you’re not alone because of the dogs. I know that they’re there and they keep you safe but sometimes you need real people with you.” 

“Yeah, I got you.” He chuckled when she sighed. 

“ _With. With_ you.” 

He scoffed, eating another fry. “You’re a party pooper.” She giggled and he smiled. “Tell me about your day, keep me busy.”

~

“Come on, can’t you just… bend the rules a little? I swear on my life they won’t do _anything_. They’re well trained, I swear!” The woman at the front desk frowned, shaking her head. 

“I’m so sorry sir, but we don’t allow pets in our rooms. No hotel in this area does.” Jughead sighed, clenching his jaw. “I can give you a room if you want it, but I _can not_ allow your dogs inside.” 

“Yes, whatever, I understand.” He took in a deep breath, steadying himself. “H-How much will it cost if I stay for… three, maybe four hours?” 

“We don’t do pricing by time, you have to pay the flat price.” He clenched his jaw to fight back his retort, huffing. “It will be about sixty-three dollars.” 

Jughead fished his wallet out of his pocket, dropping seventy dollars onto the counter. She passed him the room key and he shook his head. “Keep the change.” 

He walked away, hating himself for the anger he felt from being tired and lashing it out on her, but he couldn’t understand how nowhere allowed dogs in their rooms. People acted like they were wild animals. 

When he got to the room he looked out the window at his truck, shaking his head. He dropped his bag down, taking his phone out of his pocket when it rang. “Kevin? What’s up?” 

“Well, I was calling to inform you that Betty will be at her dads by 3pm tomorrow so I wouldn’t go to her apartment. Plus, her dad’s in line with everything and is perfectly fine with your dogs being there.” 

“God,” Jughead sighed, falling back on the bed. “At least someone is. I stopped at a hotel, right, and found out that not only does _this_ hotel not allow animals, but _no_ hotels here allow animals. It’s pure bullshit.”

“I’m Betty’s friend, not yours.” Jughead chuckled and Kevin did the same. “Oh, I haven’t said anything to her, I swear. And I won’t, I promise.” 

“Thank you, really.”

“Mm-hm. Anything that will make Betty happy I will help you with.” Jughead smiled, yawning. “Okay, go to sleep so she doesn’t suspect something.” He nodded and Kevin ended the call.

~

Jughead dropped the key off at the front desk, walking out of the hotel and out to his truck. He opened the door and the dogs all stood up, their tails wagging. “Good morning.” He clipped leashes onto all of their collars, putting his bag in his truck but taking his phone before helping them all out. 

He locked the truck and walked them behind the hotel, his phone ringing. He answered it quickly, squinting at the sun. “Morning, Betts.” 

“Hi!“ He smiled at her cheerful greeting, chuckling a little. “Is it still snowing there?” 

He looked around him at the dirt, nodding. “Yeah, there’s a ton of it today. Perfect for Christmas.”

She groaned and huffed. “Stop rubbing it in! I miss it.” He laughed and she giggled. “I hate that you’re alone.” 

“Betty, I’m _fine_. Bailey, Scout, Hotdog and I are having a great time here, huh guys?” Bailey barked, Hotdog and Scout lost on trying to look at their surroundings. “See?” 

“You’re adorable when it comes to them.” He smirked, tugging lightly at the leashes to get their attention as he walked back to the truck. “Ooh, I’m going to send you cookies so watch for them. They’ll be priority mail so they’ll come quicker.” 

“Damn, I get Betty Cooper’s Christmas cookies? How did I get so lucky?” She laughed and he opened the truck door, helping the three of them back inside. “I have to go, Betts. I love you.”

She whined, sighing. “Okay, I love you, too. You’ll call me later, right? And we will FaceTime?”

He laughed, opening the truck door on his side. “Yes, I promise you. Oh, have fun today.” 

“Yes, I will. Bye.” He hummed, ending the call. 

He got into the truck, scratching behind Hotdog‘s ears. “Are you ready to see your favorite person?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m not updating this on wednesday’s anymore. i tried it one time and i didn’t like it. also, i think this is probably one of the very few chapters where betty and jughead don’t fight.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead gives Betty the Christmas present she had secretly been hoping for all year. But with him arriving so suddenly, it can cause a bump to be formed in another relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Betty parked her car, walking up the steps to her dad's house. She knocked on the door and he answered, smiling wide and pulling her into a hug. 

“Oh, I've missed you so much. I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.” She laughed and he pulled her back, holding her shoulders to take a onceover over her. “God, you’ve grown so much. It’s really been nine years, hasn’t it?” She sighed sadly and he hugged her again. “Okay, come in! Come in!” 

She followed him inside, biting her lip. “The place looks great, dad. You look like you’re doing really good.”

“Not to toot my own horn, but I am.” He smiled at her and she smiled back. “We can discuss me later. How have you been? What have you been up to?” 

“I-I graduated - high school and college. I was top in my class in high school and I was third in college.” He sat down next to her at the island, nodding. 

“That’s great! I always knew you would do good, it’s… it’s why I did what I did. I wanted to be there, I wanted to see you become… you, you know?” She frowned a little, seeing the pain in his eyes. “I’m so sorry for putting you through all that, Betty. You were 15, you shouldn’t have had to watch me drink myself away.” 

“Hey,” she grabbed his hands, giving them a heartfelt squeeze. “You got better, you got help. _That’s_ what matters, and now you’re six years sober, that’s amazing in itself. Just because mom gives you a hard time, doesn’t mean Polly and I will. Mom will always hold a grudge over you, it’s just how she is. But she doesn’t matter, I’m proud of you. Pol is, too.” 

“Oh, I’m so glad it’s all of us back together for Christmas again. I’ve missed this so much.” Betty smiled, laughing a little. “Okay, actually tell me what you’ve been doing now.” 

~

They talked for hours, Betty helping him with dinner. Polly had come later in the day, bringing Juniper and Dagwood, along with Jason. Their dad was overly ecstatic to meet the twins, spoiling them the moment they got there. Betty and Polly were happy that he was happy again, also being happy that he was well enough to host Christmas like this again. 

They spent the day laughing and catching up, spending much needed time together as a family. It had gone by quickly and before any of them knew it, the sun was down and it was approaching the kids’ bedtimes. But, the doorbell being rung had all of them turning their heads with a confused look. 

“Can you get that, Betty?” Hal asked it with a nod and she sighed, pushing herself up off the floor. 

“You know,” she rested her hand on the knob, shaking her head. “You’re closer.” She turned and her breath came out in a gasp. “Jug,” 

He smiled, tears welling in her eyes. “Merry Christmas.” She sobbed, throwing her arms around him. He froze for barely a second before he squeezed her tightly, burying his face in her hair. “I’ve missed you so much.” 

She pulled back and laughed lightly, wiping her tears. “You’re real?” 

“Yeah, one hundred percent.” She continued to cry, hugging him again. 

She pulled back again after another long moment, sighing as he wiped her face, reaching up and holding his wrists. “When did you plan this? How long have you been planning to come out here?” 

“A month, maybe. Not that long.” She frowned and he brushed stray hairs off of her forehead. “I wanted to surprise you. Your dad and Kevin helped me, too. And-And the dogs, they’re all with me. They’re waiting in the truck.”

Her face lit up and it cracked a smile. “Really?” He nodded and she sniffled. “Can we get them?” 

“Yes, of course.” She walked forward and he stopped her. “You want shoes?” 

“Oh, I forgot about that.” She glanced up at him, cupping his cheek. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.” She pulled his face down to hers, kissing him languidly but quickly. “I love you.” 

He smiled. “I love you, too.” She giggled, kissing him again. “Now go get your shoes and help me get them. Hotdog’s dying to see you.” She giggled, skipping inside but hurrying back. 

He walked with her to the truck, opening the door. She squealed as they all jumped down around her, sitting down on the sidewalk and petting them. “Oh, I can’t believe you’re all here!” Jughead smiled as he watched them, Hotdog laying his head in Betty’s lap after a moment. “My dad’s really okay with this?” 

“Mm-hm, really.” She smiled, standing up. 

“You know,” she said teasingly. “After everyone’s asleep you owe me five months worth of very hot, very thorough, very satisfying sex.” He chuckled, gripping her chin as he kissed her until she sagged into him. 

“I would say the same.” She smiled, kissing him again until Scout nudged his nose into his ankle. “We have to feed them first.” She laughed, Jughead chuckling. 

~

“You didn’t think to mention your smoking beau to your big sister?” Betty rolled her eyes as Polly poked her in the side with her elbow. 

Betty sighed, looking over at her sister while shrugging. “I-I didn’t… I wanted to keep him to myself because now you’re going to ask _so many questions_ , and right now, I have no desire to answer any of them.” 

“Well, duh. I want to know everything. I deserve to know everything.” Betty shook her head, going back to putting the cookies on a cooling rack. “Come on, why not?” 

“Because, Pol. I want to keep him to myself right now.” Betty sighed, taking the apron she had on off. “I love him and this is still so new, therefore I don’t need you interfering - not yet at least.” 

Polly scoffed, icing a cookie. “Well when can I?”

“I’ll tell you when and right now is not-” She cut herself off with a sigh, gripping the counter. “I’ll let you know if you absolutely have to, understand?” Polly gave her sister a short nod, both of them going back to what they were doing before the almost-argument happened. 

When they had gotten through all of the cookies Betty walked out to the living room, shaking Jughead awake lightly. “Hey, sorry.” He rubbed his eyes and she gave him a small smile, sitting down next to him. “Did you get the cookies done?” She nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. 

She picked up his hand, running her finger lightly over his palm. “If you’re tired, we can just wait until tomorrow. One more day won’t kill us, you know.” 

He chuckled as he glanced at her, frowning a little. “I’m sorry, I’ve just been driving all day and… I was fine when I first got here but now, I’m beat.” She nodded, giving him a small smile. 

“That’s fine.” She picked her head up and brushed his curl off his forehead, smiling a little wider. “I’d rather us be at my apartment anyway.” He shook his head with a smile, placing a quick kiss on her lips. She moved and rested her head on his lap, sighing. “Thank you for coming. You just made being here so much better.”

“You don’t like it here?” He furrowed his brows as he ran his fingers through her hair, Betty visibly untensing from the touch. 

“I love my dad and it’s great here, don’t get me wrong, it’s just… Polly. She always wants to know everything, especially when I get into relationships, but I don’t want to tell her. I’m not sure what you see us as and I have no right putting a label on it for you.” He paused for a moment, but went back to stroking her hair slowly without a thought. “Plus, I don’t want to share everything with her just yet. I like this, me and you, the little bubble thing we have. Kevin knows, but he doesn’t ask a ton of questions - not unless he feels the need to.” 

“So it’s a good thing he’s not asking?” She giggled a little, nodding.

“Very.” He sighed with a small smile, watching her carefully. “But Polly,” she let out a long exhale and he rubbed her shoulder for a quick moment before moving back to her hair. “She will want to know everything every moment of the day. It’s… she’s protective over me, and it’s too much sometimes. I’m just afraid that if-if I open up to her, she’ll start to worry about me for no reason. And if she does that, it’ll be calls all the time and they would come day and night. She-She will want to know about every. Single. Argument - whether they’re big or little. She’ll want to know when and where I am or-or if you’re with me and I don’t want that.” 

Betty let out a shaky breath and Jughead stilled, moving his hand back to her shoulder to give her a reassuring squeeze. She had reached up and grabbed his hand, and he smoothed his thumb over the back of it. “You’re okay, you can talk.” 

She nodded, sighing shakily. “She has ruined so many relationships for me, Jug. And at the time when they had ended, I was upset because who wouldn’t be. That’s years of my life gone because of her. But… I don’t want her to chase you away. I _can’t_ let her chase you away, I need you and I’m afraid she might ruin that if I let her in.” 

“Betts, look at me.” She sat up and glanced over at him, his hand reaching up and brushing tears off of her cheek. “No one, no matter if they’re your friend, sibling, parent, pet, I don’t care… they will not scare me away. Nothing will, I mean that.” She nodded and he kissed her forehead. “Um, we should go to bed. If not now, soon.”

She nodded, swinging her legs onto the ground. “Yeah, I’ll tell everyone goodnight.”

“If you want to stay up, that’s fine. I’ll just go to bed and you can come up when you’re ready.” She shook her head, standing up. 

“No, I’m tired, too, and I want to go see Hotdog.” He chuckled, watching her walk away. 

~

Jughead wiped soap from his hair, turning when the shower curtain was pulled back. “Jug,” it was shaky and uneven, and he sighed, helping Betty into the shower. She cried as she wrapped her arms around him and he kissed the top of her head, squeezing her as tight as he could without hurting her. 

He pulled her face up off his chest, shielding her from the water with his body. “What’s wrong?” 

“P-Polly, we…” she dropped her head again and he slowly turned the water off. He grabbed her towel, wrapping it around her as she started to shiver lightly. He took his and wrapped it around his waist, helping her up off the edge of the tub. 

“What happened between you two just now?” He sat her down on the foot of the bed, pulling on boxers and pajama pants before pulling out her clothes from an overnight bag she had. 

“We…” she sighed and he slowly peeled the towel off of her, helping her into underwear. “She just st-started yelling at me for-for being stupid.” He furrowed his brows at her, rolling her t-shirt and helping her put it on. She sighed as he lightly pulled her left arm through her sleeve, her eyes meeting his. “She called me stupid for loving you.” 

He swallowed and let out a sigh, helping her with the other sleeve. “You’re not stupid, it’s just… it’s how you feel and I’m not doing that to save my ass and to keep you mine. You can’t let people make decisions for you forever because you are amazing, and you know what’s best for you.” Her chin quivered and she bit her bottom lip. “I know she’s your sister and I know you love her, but you deserve to be happy and-and if I make you happy, okay. And if I don’t… that’s okay, too. But you can’t let her decide who you can love, Betts. That doesn’t stand for just me, that stands for every guy you’ve ever been with.” 

“I don’t want to hurt her.” Her voice was shaky and his heart snapped into millions of pieces in his chest. 

“Betts, this is your life, live it. You’re not going to hurt her by doing what you want and you know why she’s like this?” She shook her head, Jughead squeezing her hands. “Because she cares about you _so much_. She doesn’t want to watch you in pain or get hurt, she doesn’t want that for you because she’s probably been there one too many times and she knows how much it hurts to go through.” 

She sighed, sniffling. “You think so?” 

“Betty, I know so because I would have been the same way. You… when you have a little sibling or-or a kid, you don’t want to _ever_ see them get hurt. If there’s some way to prevent them from getting hurt, you will do whatever you need to do to do that.” He squeezed her hands again, steadying himself. “It may seem overbearing and it may get annoying, but she just wants what’s best for you.” 

“But am I stupid for loving you?” 

He sucked in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before slowly letting it out. “Yes, you are. But Betty, if people weren’t stupid for loving each other, love wouldn’t be anything. Love makes you do stupid and crazy things everyday, it’s… just how it is. It’s the way things go, the way things work. It’s life.” Betty smiled a little, biting her lip. “She means well, really. So, talk to her. Not now, wait until the morning, wait until you both cool off because you will need her. One day it’ll just be you and her left and if you let this… ruin you two, you will regret that until the day you die, so don’t ruin this with her because you have time. You have so much time…” he sighed, letting out a deep breath to steady himself and his words again. “You have so much time left with her and you need to cherish that.” 

She cupped his cheeks, brushing away the tears that were there. “Thank you for that. Really.” He smiled tinily at her. “And you should write some poems because that was very poetic.” They both laughed and he kissed her deeply. She pulled back with a sigh, looking into his eyes. “I love you. Even if it is stupid, I love you, a lot.” 

He grinned, kissing her again. “I love you, too.” She giggled, kissing him soundly. “Hey, we decided to do this tomorrow.” 

“I hate that you have a good memory.” He chuckled, giving her a small smile. “Can I have my hairbrush?” He found it, walking over to her and sitting behind her. “Sorry for ruining your shower by just walking in and crying.” He shook his head, brushing out Betty’s hair carefully. “Why are you taking such good care of me?”

He leaned over her shoulder, smiling at her when she glanced at him. “Because I love you and I want to take care of you, you deserve it.” He kissed the tip of her nose and she grinned, Jughead going back to doing her hair. 

They sat in relative, calming silence as he did so. When he was finished, he set the brush on the nightstand, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to lie back on him. She sighed, lying her hands on top of his. 

“I know I keep saying this,” she turned to look at him, Jughead looking down at her. “Thank you, I mean it. You didn’t have to come here, you didn’t have to help me all the times you have, and you definitely didn’t have to fall in love with me when I did.” He furrowed his brows, Betty looking down at their hands then back up to him. “Thank you, for all of it and I will be saying that forever because I can’t… I don’t really know any other words that mean the same thing because I only fluently speak English so…” 

He chuckled, kissing her and pulling back with a wide grin. “You’re welcome. I mean _that_.” He kissed her quickly again, Betty lying her head back on his chest. 

~

Betty woke up the next morning, blinking at the sunlight that was shining through the window. She sighed deeply, Bailey’s head lifting at the foot of the bed. She smiled at her, Jughead’s arm squeezing around her waist and pulling her into him, his hips grinding slightly into her back. 

“Clear your head, Jug.” He chuckled groggily, kissing at her neck. She sighed, tilting her head to the side to give him better access. He kissed down to her exposed shoulder, moving back up to her jaw while also sliding his hand under her t-shirt, palming her breast and tweaking her nipple. She let out a gasp, biting her lip to keep in her whimper. “Oh my god.” 

“It’s tomorrow, and I don’t think anyone else is awake yet.” She rolled over to straddle him at his words, his hand slipping from her shirt to cup her face so he could kiss her roughly. She pushed his pants down as he lifted his hips to let her while he ripped her panties off. 

“Those were new,” she said it breathlessly and he scoffed, pulling her t-shirt over her head. 

“I’ll buy you new ones.” He kissed her again, Betty aligning herself with him before sinking down on him, moaning as his hand clasped around her mouth. “We have to be quiet.” She nodded and he moved his hands, their lips connecting as he thrusted his hips up, Betty swallowing his grunt.

He rolled her so she was under him, moving at a slow pace as he wrapped his mouth around her nipple. She covered her mouth with her hand as she moaned loudly, her other hand threading through his hair. He groaned around her and the vibrations sent sparks through her body. “Oh, Jug.” He kissed across her chest, pulling her other nipple into his mouth. She sobbed, gasping when he started to rub tight circles over her clit. “Yes, yes,” She hummed, her head pushing into the pillows. “Ju-Jug!” His hand clasped around her mouth, her own hand reaching up to clasp around his shakily as they both came undone, each of them trying to muffle their cries of pleasure. 

After a moment he collapsed onto her, each of them panting and spent as she shook and shuddered. She pinched his hip after some time and he rolled off of her, laying his hand on his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling. “God, I missed that. I missed you, _all_ of you.” He smirked over at her and she laughed, finding his hand and threading their fingers together. He brought them to his mouth, placing a kiss to her knuckles before dropping them to his chest. “I really hope I was right about no one being awake.”

She looked over at him this time and laughed, leaning over and kissing him quickly. “Merry Christmas to us.” 

He smiled, nodding. “Merry Christmas to us indeed.” He sighed, kissing her knuckles again. “Also, we should thoroughly apologize to the dogs later.” 

She sat up with a gasp, looking at the three of them asleep on the floor. “Oh, no.” She held her head as she fell back on the bed, Jughead laughing. 

“They’re asleep, I doubt they heard anything.” She rolled her eyes and he propped himself up, holding his head up with his hand. “And if they did, they’ll forget. They promised me.” She laughed and shook her head. “I’m serious. Scout told me so with his own drooling, slobbery mouth.” 

“Ew!” She laughed when he nudged her neck, placing a kiss there. She cupped his face, kissing his forehead and the tip of his nose, resting her forehead on his. “I love you and I’m really, really glad you’re here.” 

He smiled, kissing her quickly. “I love _you_ and I’m really, really glad I’m here, too.” 

“You’re not allowed to steal my words!” He grinned, kissing her again. “Okay, kids are going to be running around any moment, we have to have clothes on when that happens.” 

“Yeah, good idea.” He sat up, picking up her shirt off the ground and passing it to her. “Oh, by the way, you look great in my clothes.” 

She looked at the t-shirt in her hands, rolling her eyes. “I only took it because it’s comfortable, not because it was yours.” 

“Mm-hm.” He got out of the bed, pulling his sweatpants and boxers back on. “You keep telling yourself that.” 

He walked off to the bathroom and she scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself, Jones!” 

~

“You know, all your presents are in the mail because you decided to appear out of thin air.” Jughead laughed, setting his coffee cup down. “Am I a terrible person for _not_ wanting to watch the five of them open their gifts?” 

“What? No, you’re fine. It’s probably a mess in there anyway.” She laid her head on his shoulder, watching Jughead hand Bailey a treat. “Plus, we get the dogs and they don’t.” 

“They are your children. Literally.” He furrowed his brows as he looked down at her and she smiled. “It’s a good thing - no, a _cute_ thing. I love it, a lot. You, like, protect them with your whole heart, it’s precious.” He smiled sheepishly and she kissed his cheek. “Sometimes I wonder how you’re 27.”

“Oh, trust me, I do, too.” She chuckled a little, Jughead pulling out his cigarettes and lighter. “Christmas feels wrong without snow.” Betty sighed, nodding. “I don’t think I’ve ever celebrated Christmas without at least a dusting of snow on the ground, you know?” He lit his cigarette, taking a long drag before exhaling slowly. 

“We used to go to Connecticut… before my dad became a severe alcoholic. He was still addicted to it then, but he could control it a little better. He was able to hide it more so I wasn’t able to notice.” She looked down at her hands, twisting the string of his sweatshirt around her finger. “The last time we went I was 13 and it was one of the last good memories I had with him.” 

Jughead furrowed his brows, looking down at her as he blew smoke out of the corner of his mouth. “What do you mean?” 

“This isn’t what I usually do for Christmas. I _usually_ drive to San Francisco to stay with Polly and her family. I take the time to sulk and miss the way everything else used to be. Like the dinners we would have, or the cookies we would make, or the one-present-before-bed-rule for Christmas Eve.” She sighed, smoothing her hand over his chest. “I miss when everything was easy, when I didn’t have to think for myself. I think that’s why I let everyone decide everything for me, because it’s the last part of my innocence I can hang on to.” 

He nodded, rubbing his hand over her shoulder. “I know what you mean. You let people make decisions for you, I buy a whole house. We’re one in the same.” She smiled up at him with a giggle, kissing him once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jughead really came in with that “hey, i think we’re _all_ stupid” as soon as betty got scared. also, at least it’s not them fighting this time, right?


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polly gives Betty relationship advice that she hopes will help keep her sisters relationship strong and give it the ability to last for years to come. The discussion Betty and Jughead share can change both of their lives drastically, but nonetheless, they seem as though they are happy-go-lucky and that not even a knife could manage to cut between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Betty sighed, biting her lip. “I need to talk to Polly.” Jughead glanced over his shoulder at her, rubbing his hair with a towel. “I’m going to go do that now.”

He furrowed his brows, nodding. “Okay,” she placed a kiss to the corner of his mouth and left the bedroom, walking downstairs and collecting herself before she walked into the kitchen. 

“It’s simple, Jason. They can do things on their own now, right guys?” The twins nodded in unison and Polly finished tying Juniper’s pigtail, tightening it. 

Betty cleared her throat and Polly looked over at her. “Can I talk to you?” Betty asked quietly. She nodded and Betty clenched her jaw, wringing her hands together. “Alone?” 

“Betty, anything you need to say can be said in front-”

“Polly-” Betty cut herself off when she said her name in a shout, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. “Alone, please.”

Polly nodded, Jason taking both of the twins and leaving the kitchen. Betty stood by the doorway nervously, twisting her hands before she smoothed them over her thighs and stepped forward. 

“So,” Polly stood straight at the kitchen island, looking almost confused as to what Betty had to say. “What do you need? Is it time for me to wring out Jughead, because I’ll do it. I can stay a little longer, I’ll just change my fli-”

“Polly, stop.” She looked taken aback at her sister's words but nodded hesitantly, Betty letting out a deep breath. “I love you and I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me, but you need to learn when to stop. Pol, I _love_ Jughead.”

Polly scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest. “How can you even say that? You’ve known him, what, seven months?”

“You married Jason after being together for a year!” 

“The circumstances were different!” They both sighed, Betty curling her hands into fists but forced herself to open them. “What, are you planning on marrying him now?”

“No, not-not now, but Polly, _our_ circumstances are different.” Polly shook her head and Betty reached for her hand. “Pol, he loves me, he _actually_ loves me.” She looked up at Betty and watched her as she tested a small smile. “He makes me happy, he calms me down, he knows when to walk away, he knows when enough is enough, and-and he listens. Do you know how hard it is to find someone who listens? He cares more than… he cares a lot more than he should.”

Polly sighed and Betty did the same, tucking hair behind her ear. “He’s really sweet, Polly. Yes, he has baggage, but so don’t I. We all do. And maybe I _am_ stupid for loving him, but that’s what love is. It makes us stupid, it makes us do dumb things.” She agreed silently, Betty watching her carefully. “But he loves harder than anyone I’ve ever been with and because of that, I want a future with him but I’m not going to be able to let myself do that if you hate him.” 

Polly sighed, squeezing Betty’s hands. “I never said I hated him. I mean, I kinda do because he’s taking you away from me and I can’t stop that because this is the happiest I’ve seen you in years.” Betty smiled tinily, Polly giving her a small one back. “You’re in love and… I can tell that this, this isn’t going to end. I don’t want it to end because you guys are adorable. You deserve this and I hate myself for wanting to interfere. He’s good to you and that’s hard to find now, so you keep him. Don’t screw this up. The shittiest thing Jason and I do and what puts the most strain on us, is that we don’t talk. You have to talk, communication is key and it sounds stupid, but it’s true.” 

“So, you like him?” 

Polly laughed as she walked around the counter, pulling Betty into a hug. “Yes, he’s great for you!” Betty laughed and hugged her sister back, Polly gripping her shoulders and pulling her back. “I’ll try my hardest not to be overbearing, I’m just trying to protect you.” 

Betty nodded, giving her a smile. “I know, I know you are. But I’m an adult and I need to get hurt.” Polly laughed, hugging Betty again. 

They pulled apart again and Polly sighed. “Call me if anything bad happens?” 

“Yes, I know. Now go, you have three people waiting for you.” Betty laughed as her sister left, letting out a long exhale when Polly got to the living room. After she collected herself for a moment there was a knock on the wall of the doorway and she turned, Jughead giving her a small smile. 

“I was going to… everything’s in my truck and your car.” She nodded, sighing and squeezing the edge of the counter until her knuckles turned white. He walked over to her, placing his hand between her shoulder blades. “You okay?” 

“Yeah,” she chuckled, turning to look at him. “I am.” 

He nodded, kissing her forehead. “Good.” 

“Let me tell my dad goodbye and we can go.” He nodded again, tucking his hands in his pockets and following her out into the living room. “Wait here, okay?” He gave her yet another nod, waiting by the front door. 

Betty sighed as she walked over to her dad, twisting her hands just like she had with Polly. “Hey, are you leaving, too?” Her dad asked it with a small smile and she nodded. He pulled her into a hug and she sighed. “Thank you for coming. I know your mom's offer stood and you didn’t have to come here.” She sniffled as she pulled back and his small smile became sad. “No need to cry, we’re okay now. Everything’s going to be good from here on out, I mean it, Betty.”

She nodded, hugging him again. “Thank you for everything you’ve done this weekend. Especially Jughead.” He chuckled, Betty stepping back.

“It was all his idea, I just helped.” She smiled, wiping her cheeks. “He really loves you, remember that.” 

“I will, trust me.” She sighed, sniffling again. “I’ll call you next weekend.” He gave her a nod, waving to her as she walked away. Jughead pushed himself up off where he was leaning against the wall, giving her a smile. “We can go.” She said it softly, opening the door and walking out with a huff.

~

“I’m sorry I don’t have any extra room for the dogs.” Jughead set their bags by the island, shaking his head at Betty’s words. 

“You’re fine. We just have to walk them a few times a day and they’ll be okay.” She turned, looking up at him nervously.

“You’re sure?” He nodded and she sighed. “One hundred percent?” 

He chuckled, nodding again. “Yes, Betty. I am one hundred percent sure.” 

“Ooh, you know what we should do?” He raised an eyebrow and she placed her hands on his chest. “We should go hiking. They can get a walk in and it can wear them out, and I can show you where I run most mornings.”

He nodded, squeezing her shoulder. “Okay, that’ll be good for them.” 

She smiled brightly, clapping her hands. “Yay! Okay, let me go change.” 

~

“You do this every morning?” Jughead huffed, Betty giggling beside him. 

“It’s not bad, Jug. You’re making it bad.” He let out a half laugh, half exasperated huff and she just smiled. “You are putting more strain on yourself by huffing and puffing like that, you know. You’re supposed to breathe through your nose and out through your mouth, that way you stay calm.”

“What about my calves, because I haven’t felt them burn this bad since the mile in high school and I cheated my way through that.” She looked over at him and scoffed, Jughead just shrugging. “I _am not_ a runner. I can barely walk.”

“It’s up hill, too, Jug.” She laughed again as he rolled his eyes. “Here, there’s a bench right up there. We’ll stop when we get there, okay?” He nodded, huffing again, the dogs staying at a careful pace in front of them until they sat down, the three of them lying in the shade under the tree beside the bench. 

“It’s nice up here, but we have to walk all the way back down.” She shook her head, threading her fingers through his. 

“Don’t sound so excited.” He smirked, kissing her quickly. “How long are you staying?” 

He sighed, shrugging. “How long do you want me to stay?” She looked over at him with shock in her eyes and he swallowed. “I have enough clothes to be here until January first but you went almost a month with five dresses so I think I can do the same with five outfits.” 

She chuckled, looking down at their hands. “As much as I want you to stay for a month, it’s not good for Bailey or Scout or Hotdog. I can’t force you to have them here where they can only run around at a dog park. They deserve your yard and the horses.” She frowned, looking up at him with a sparkle in her eye. “I miss the horses. How are they? Are they good?”

“They’re as good as horses can be.” She smiled, Jughead sighing. “So you want me to leave after New Years?”

She sighed, running her fingers over the back of his hand. “I don’t want you to, I really, _really_ don’t want you to, but I think you should. For the dogs. But I want to come see you, and I will. I like it there a lot better than I like it here.”

“Well, my house is always open and I’m not falling in love with anyone else who comes walking up to my door asking to use my phone.” He smiled at her and she smiled back. “I love you and I’m good with whatever you decide to do, okay?” 

She swallowed thickly, letting out a shaky breath with a deep inhale. “Jug,” he watched her with furrowed brows and she bit her lip. “What if… what if I came and lived with you?” His eyes widened and his lips parted in shock. 

“Like-Like you’d move in?” She nodded, worry etched into her expression. “Betty, you just… you just made up with your dad and your sister… I don’t want to screw that up.” 

“Jug, you’re not going to. Me being here does nothing for me. I… I go from job to job because they’re terrible and I…” she let out a deep breath, her eyes hopeful. “I was just offered a job to work for _The Washington Post_ and it’s all online. I don’t have to be here anymore, my job isn’t grounding me. I can go _anywhere_ without worrying if I’m going to lose my job. You have internet at your house now. I can work from your house, I can be with you, Bailey, Hotdog and Scout all day. I want that, I’ve missed that.”

Jughead clenched his jaw, sighing. “Betty, you have to make sure this is what you _really_ want. Don’t let this be some fleet of the moment thing because I can’t handle that. I’m not stable enough for it to be that.”

“Jug, I’ve been thinking about doing this since I got home. It’s so… I hate being alone now and the phone can only do so much. This morning, that was the first time we… it’s too long, the time apart is too much. I want you by my side, I need you by my side. Who else can I celebrate with when they publish one of my articles?” He chuckled, Betty letting go of his hand to reach up and cup his cheek. “I won’t do this if you don’t want me to. It can just be a question and we can… we can forget I asked.” 

“No,” he shook his head, sighing. “No. We’re not going to forget it. You can move in, because I miss you. It’s so boring without you around. I used to think I liked the silence, but now it’s just… too much. It’s too quiet. I need you laughing and bossing me around. I want to wake up to you just coming inside from your run and you feeding me no matter how many times I say you don’t have to. You know, I realize I suck at cooking.”

“You just realized that?”

“Hey,” he laughed and she giggled. “Watch your mouth.” She smiled wide and he kissed her soundly. “I love you.” 

She grinned proudly and he chuckled, kissing her again. “Okay, we should probably start heading back down before the sun sets.” He groaned and followed her when she stood up with a laugh holding out her free hand for him to take. 

~

Jughead huffed, breathing heavily as he laid back on the bed. “Stop smiling like that!” He looked down at Betty who was sitting at the end of the bed, throwing her head back as she laughed.

“How am I smiling?” He sat up on the bed, leaning against the headboard as he folded his hands on his stomach. 

She narrowed her eyes, a playful smile on her lips. “Like we just had sex.”

“But we did! How am I supposed to smile? All hard and grr like?” She laughed, biting her lip. 

“You just said grr like it’s normal.” He laughed, Betty giggling. “You know, in the morning, we should just order breakfast.” 

He kissed her ankle, slowly kissing up her leg. “Mm, why’s that?” 

“Because I’m not going on my run and I don’t feel like cooking.” He chuckled against her thigh, his hand tugging the blanket off of her. 

“Is that so? And you’re not even going to ask me because I’m so bad at cooking?” She laughed, Jughead leaning over her. 

She wrinkled her nose, nodding. “With time you can get better, Jug. We just have to work with it.” He chuckled, kissing her roughly. “We can teach you later.” He smirked into the kiss, his hand moving down to hitch her leg over his hip. 

~

Betty rubbed her eyes when she woke up, stretching and furrowing her brows when Jughead’s side of the bed was empty. She sat up and glanced outside to the balcony, huffing when he wasn’t outside smoking. With a confused whine she stood up out of bed, pulling on Jughead’s t-shirt and her underwear, walking out of the bedroom. She raised an eyebrow at him in the kitchen, watching his drop sausage to Scout. 

“Jug,” he looked over his shoulder at her, smiling. “What are you doing?”

“I ordered breakfast. And I got extra sausage—for the dogs.” She giggled, walking over to him and kissing his cheek. 

“I almost thought you were cooking.” He snickered, shaking his head. “But we know that wouldn’t happen.” He kissed her head, Betty taking a plate and walking over to the counter that jutted out of the wall, sitting in a chair she had there. “When did you wake up?”

“About three hours ago. I took the dogs for a walk around the block a few times, somehow got lost trying to come back inside because I didn’t know there were multiple entries?” She laughed, popping a piece of her waffle into her mouth. “But I made it back inside and I used Postmates for the first time ever _and_ bought overpriced food for the first time ever.” He sat down next to her, stealing a piece of her waffle. “I’m never paying thirty dollars for breakfast ever again.” 

“Thirty dollars? Where the hell did you get this from?” He shrugged.

“I just ordered it and paid for it with my card. I didn’t really look, I don’t understand all that yelp shit.” 

“You wouldn’t last here. You’d be broke in a heartbeat.” He nodded, chuckling as she laughed. “So, I was thinking about giving my landlord my two week notice—if that’s okay with you, of course.” 

He nodded, eating another bite of her waffle. “Yeah, go ahead. I can take some of your things with me when I go back if you want me to?” 

“You’d do that?” He nodded and she smiled. “Thank you, that will be so much easier on me. Oh, and speaking of moving, we should probably go get boxes for me today.”

“You don’t have any?” 

“I keep a lot of things, but boxes are not one of them.” He chuckled, Betty smiling. “What? You do?” 

“No, why would I keep boxes?” He shook his head, giving her an incredulous look. 

Betty picked a piece of waffle up with her fork, smirking. “You seem like the type.” He rolled his eyes as she popped it into her mouth, Betty giggling. 

~

“You know what I want to do?” Jughead raised his eyebrow at Betty, tightening his hold on Bailey’s leash as they walked up the hiking trail they had walked yesterday. “We should go camping.” He laughed and she frowned. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” he shook his head, glancing over at her. “But you? Camping? I see you do that glamping thing. You know, in a way too expensive camper that has a toilet and a shower.” 

She gave him a shocked look, pouting. “I enjoy camping.” He looked at her with a playful smile, giving her an unsure look. “I’m serious!” 

“Okay, okay.” He laughed again, scoffing. “Seriously? You like camping?”

“Jughead, stop it!” 

“I’m sorry!” He took in a deep breath, steadying himself. “Okay, I’ll stop. Where do you want to go camping?” 

She thought about it, frowning and glancing over to him. “I don’t want to go camping.” He laughed again, shaking his head. “I went camping once when I was, like, ten and I’m almost ninety percent sure I hated it.” 

“Yeah, you don’t look like the camping type.” 

“That’s mean.” She smiled playfully and he sighed. “What should we do for New Years?”

He looked down at her, giving her a boyish smile. “Each other?” 

She rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder. “Your head is _constantly_ in the gutter.” 

“Look at you, how could it not be?” She blushed and bit her lip. “I mean it.”

“Shut up.” He smiled brightly, watching Bailey walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's two chapters of bughead being happy without a fight--quite rare, yes? i guess i should just say that y'all should enjoy it while you can because, knowing them, things will get bumpy again sooner rather than later.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty arrives at Jughead’s house and everything is perfect. Betty perceives it as a winter wonderland almost, both of them loving every minute of it. But, as per usual, a small thing can ruin the whole “wonderland” that they’re in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Betty pulled down Jughead’s driveway, rolling her eyes at him clapping on the porch. “You made it, and your car is still working this time!” She put the car in park and he walked over, pulling her door open.

“Thanks for the applause.” He chuckled, cupping her cheeks when she stood up and kissed her languidly. She sank into it, her hands twisting into his t-shirt as it grew more heated and became teeth clashing and sloppy. 

Her arms draped over his shoulders when his hand shoved the car door closed, moving to grip the underside of her thighs and pull her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked to the house, Betty pulling back, Jughead groaning in protest. 

“We have to get stuff inside.” She said it through pants and Jughead just huffed.

“We can do it in the morning. Right now, I’m worried about getting you back in my bed.” She giggled and he kissed her again, walking into the house and carefully walking them upstairs. 

He walked them into his bedroom, dropping her down onto his bed and pulling his t-shirt off while she pulled off her own. He smirked at her, kissing her again before kissing down her body, stopping to suck a bruise into the swell of her breast. 

She gasped as he kissed further, yelping slightly when he bit her nipple lightly through her bra. He chuckled and reached around her, kissing her deeply as he unclasped it. 

“You…” she melted into his kiss for a moment before pulling back and tilting his head so his eyes met hers. “Know _exactly_ how to distract me because I have no fucking clue what I was going to say.” 

He laughed, nipping at her jaw as his hand dipped into her leggings and panties, his fingers sliding through her folds. “Fuck, Betts.” She whimpered, her head pressing back into the mattress. 

“Wait, Jug,” She panted, his head coming up and he pulled his hand out of her pants, holding her hips. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes. Yes, I’m great. I just…” she sighed, covering her face with her hands. 

He furrowed his brows, propping himself up on his elbows. “You just what? If you want to stop, that’s okay, I understand.” 

She moved her hands, reaching up to cup his neck, her thumbs stroking over his jaw. “I’m sorry, I’ve just been driving for two days and even though I’ve showered, I still feel disgusting.” 

“That’s fine. I’ve been there, Betts.” She giggled, kissing him lightly. “I’m just glad you’re here.” She smiled, fluttering her lashes when he pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “You’re sure you want to live here? You can always leave if you want.” 

“Jug, I want to be here, I really, _really_ do. I miss waking up with you everyday and no traffic.” She groaned, pressing her head back. “I have missed the zero traffic _so much_.” He laid down beside her, propping his head up on his fist. “I’ve also missed the farmers market.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but there aren’t any right now.” She sat up and gasped, Jughead furrowing his brows when Betty pulled her t-shirt back on quickly, grasping his hand and pulling him up off the bed. “Betts, what are you doing?” She hurried downstairs and he followed slowly, watching her pull on one of his heavier coats. 

He smirked, grabbing one himself and grabbing a hat for himself and her, along with gloves for them both as she ran outside. “Yay!” She smiled and laughed, clapping her hands as she tilted her head up to the sky, letting the snow fall down on her face. He pulled on his hat and gloves, walking over to her and slipping them on her before wiping the snow off of her face. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen snow - _real_ snow?” 

“No, but I’m guessing it’s a very long time.” He zipped her coat, Betty squealing after he was done and skipping around. 

“Look at it!” He smiled, chuckling. He watched her for a moment until she looked at him, biting her lip. “Can we bring out the dogs?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be right back.” She nodded, Jughead walking over and opening the back door to the house, whistling. The three of them came running, Betty dropping to the ground to pet them when they ran towards her. She fell back into the snow with a laugh, Bailey, Scout, and Hotdog running off to do their own thing. “You’re going to get soaked and you’re going to be freezing.” 

She glared at him, standing up. “Maybe I want to be.”

“Well, I really don’t want your lips turning blue on me.” She made a kissy face before smiling. “You know what,” he squatted down, starting to make a snowball in his hand. 

“Oh, no.” She backed up, stopping when she was a few feet away, balling snow in her hand, too. He stood up and she laughed as he walked towards her, screaming when his arm wrapped around her waist and he shoved snow down her jacket, her own snowball falling to the ground. “Ah! No!” 

He laughed as she screamed, watching her jump around to get the snow out of her jacket. She stopped with a playful glare, grabbing a handful of snow. “Hey, no! You’re not going to do that!” He ran away, Betty jumping onto his back. 

He had caught her, even despite her shoving the snow down his own coat. “Paybacks a bitch, Jug.” 

He chuckled, turning his head to look at her. “Oh, really?” She giggled and nodded, kissing him. His hands tightened around her knees, her hands moving to cup his cheeks, the kiss becoming possessive and heated. He dropped her legs, turning and connecting their lips in another heated kiss again. His hands moved to her hips as he started to back her up towards the house, Betty jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. 

When they were inside the house he dropped her onto the kitchen counter and she worked to open his pants while he tugged her leggings off. His hand stilled hers and she whined, biting Jughead’s lower lip and tugging lightly.

“What happened to wanting a shower?” She huffed, her hands moving back to undoing his pants.

“I say this nicely,” she unbuttoned his pants, pushing them down over his thighs. “Please…” she kissed him, looking at him with lust blown eyes. “Shut…” he pushed his boxers down, Jughead clenching his jaw. “Up.” Her hand wrapped around him and he grunted, his hands gripping the counter as he thrusted faintly into her hand. 

She kissed him soundly, swallowing his grunts and groans as she worked him for a moment until he pulled back with a deep breath. “Betts, I’m not going to last if you keep doing that. I want… you.” She sighed, Jughead kissing her slowly as he grabbed her hips, wrapping her legs around his waist as he pushed forward into her.

“Jug,” her hands shoved his jacket off of his shoulders, her head falling and hitting the cupboard behind her as she gripped his biceps tightly. Her hips moved with his own, rolling into him when he was fully buried inside of her. 

They moved slowly and carefully, taking time to savor the feeling of each other even if they had just been together a week earlier. After a few more moments his thrust became stuttered and Betty’s head fell to his shoulder as his hand went between them, his hand finding her clit. She came with a cry and he groaned, thrusting into her three more times before he sagged against her, completely spent. 

They each took time to recover, Jughead straightening with a sigh. “How about you go get your shower while I start a fire?”

She gasped quietly, placing her hands on his shoulders. “I forgot about the fireplace. Will you do that?”

“Mm-hm, I haven’t used it in awhile, it’d be nice.” She giggled, kissing him. 

~

“This is so much better than the beach.” Jughead chuckled, looking over at Betty who smiled. 

“A fire is better than the sun?” She nodded, sitting up and holding the sheet to her chest. “Really?”

“Yes. I feel like I’m in, like, a Christmas miracle movie. It’s just so beautiful out here this time of year and I’ve missed it so much.” She leaned down and kissed him, brushing a curl off of his forehead. “I’ve missed you, even after a week.”

He sighed, draping his arm over his forehead. “You have better enjoyed those five months away from me ‘cause now you are going to have days filled with just me.” 

“Mm, the best days.” She laid herself on top of him, folding her hands on his chest and resting her chin on them. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, cupping the side of her head. “I love you.” 

He smiled sheepishly, a blush high on his cheeks. “I love _you_.” It was her turn to blush and she bit her lip, moving one of her hands up to trace over his features lightly. She brushed her finger over his cheekbone, running it smoothly down and over his jawline, pausing at his chin. She traced his eyebrow and the slope of his nose, down until the tip of her finger rested on his lower lip. She let out a sigh and Jughead gripped her wrist gently, kissing her fingers. 

She tucked her hand back under her chin, Jughead’s hand rubbing small circles on her lower back. “What was that for?” He set his arm under his head, Betty kissing his chin. 

She shrugged, sighing again. “I felt like doing it.” He chuckled, tracing her spine. “My stuff is probably all frozen now.” 

“Well, if any of it had to be preserved, now it’s already one step closer to being just that.” He smiled wide and she chuckled.

“Thanks for that.” He nodded, kissing her cheek. She gave him a tired smile, laying her head on his chest. “Can we sleep here? With the fire still going?” 

He hummed, sighing. “I’ve done it and the house is still standing so…” he yawned, wrapping his other arm around her. “I’m going to go with yes.” 

~

Jughead pushed open the front door, hopping on one foot when he almost stepped on a box. “Woah,” he furrowed his brows, making his way around the maze of things that littered the entryway. “Betts?” Her head poked out of the dining room and she smiled. “What’s all this?”

She stepped out of the room, clasping her hands together. “Um, well, I’m cleaning.”

“The last time I checked it was, like, February ninth and you were all moved in. Therefore it’s not spring cleaning and you’re not moving in - you could be moving out.” She frowned and he shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m always preparing myself for the worst.” 

She swallowed, sighing. “I am doing early-”

“Are you nesting?” She looked taken aback, raising an eyebrow. “Archie said it’s something women do when they’re about to have a baby. Are you secretly pregnant?” 

Betty crossed her arms over her chest with a thin lipped, but amused smile. “I love how naive men are.” He followed her through the dining room and into the kitchen.

“Wait, so are you pregnant?” She scoffed and he shrugged again. “It’s a question!”

“No, Jug, I’m not pregnant and women don’t nest until they’re about to give birth. I _am not_ about to give birth. Trust me, I would know.” He maneuvered his way around the kitchen, shaking his head in confusion. 

“Then what are you doing?” 

She sighed, sinking down into a chair at the kitchen table. “I-I don’t know. I _was_ cleaning then I just kind of took everything out of everywhere and I started cleaning everything and-I bleached all the showers and sinks! I do this every time I move but I’ve been busy… with you, but I started and now I just need a break but I also hadn’t realized I had just left everything everywhere.” 

“So, you’re reorganizing my whole house?” He sat down in a chair across from her and she looked up at him, nodding. “Well, thanks because I didn’t even know I owned a blender.” He pointed to the said appliance that was on the floor and she laughed. “I guess we can make milkshakes now.” 

“You’re ridiculous.” He smirked, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. “Will you help me?” 

“I don’t think I have a choice.” He chuckled and she laughed. “We’ll start here?” She nodded, standing up. “No, but seriously, where the hell did you find the blender?”

“Up there.” She pointed to the cabinets above the fridge and he furrowed his brows. 

“You can reach that high?” She swatted his chest playfully and he laughed. “What? You’re, like, yay-high.” He waved his hand over her head and she shoved it away.

“I am not that short.” He snickered and she shoved him, Jughead wrapping his arms around her and kissing the side of her head. “I found a four-step ladder in the mudroom.” 

“Ah, sounds more like it.” She pushed his head and he chuckled, kissing her quickly. “Love you.” She raised her brows once and tried to hide a playful smile. “Where do you want me?”

“You have to put things away in spots I can’t reach.” He scoffed, Betty smiling. “Well, you did just call me short, so…” 

~

Betty grabbed a bin, pulling a box towards her and pulling a few movies out of it. “Ooh, Jug, you have movies in your bedroom. Can you get them for me?” He nodded, standing up off the floor. “Thank you!” He walked up the stairs, Betty going back to organizing the movies into the bin. She sat for a few moments until the phone rang, standing up with a sigh and walking over to it. She answered on the fourth ring with a sighed out “Hello?”

“Hi,” she furrowed her brows at the woman's voice, shaking off the weight that was forming in her stomach. “Is Forsythe there?” 

“I’m sorry?” She sat back down on the floor, crossing her arm over her chest. “Who?”

“Forsyhte Pendelton Jones, the third?” The woman's voice sounded just as confused as Betty felt. “He has been at this residency since early 2014. Has he moved?”

“Um,” she sucked in a breath, walking into the kitchen. “C-Can you give me one moment?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Betty sighed, finding a notepad and a pen, placing the phone between her ear and shoulder.

“Okay. He-He’s not here, but I can take a message.” She clicked the pen, listening to the woman type on a keyboard for a moment before she cleared her throat.

“Thank you. Please tell him that I was just calling to inform him that a lump sum of 1.2 million dollars was put into his account and that in four months another 5,600 dollars will also be put in.” Betty’s eyes widened as she wrote down the information. “Also inform him that it comes out of a Mrs. Caroline Rich’s will. There is a formal letter that states that the first half must go to Forsythe Pendlton Jones, the third and the second half is for Forsythia “Jellybean” Jones who is not around to accept the money.” Bile rose in Betty’s throat, her breath coming out in a gasp. “Thank you, have a nice day.” 

The phone fell from where it had been placed, shattering on the floor. She heard Jughead’s footsteps as he walked into the kitchen, his eyebrows furrowed. “Betty? Are you okay?” She turned to him slowly, her jaw clenched and tears in her eyes. “Betty,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at least they were happy for most of the chapter, right? (i promise, things will get better again soon.)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead tells Betty about something that isn’t the easiest for him to talk about. She reacts how she always does: scared and worried, so the two of them go their separate ways. But of course they come out stronger and begin planning for the near future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

“Who are you?!” Betty was tense as she sobbed, clutching her stomach and Jughead stood, his eyes wide. 

“Betts-”

“No! No, you can’t - no!” She screamed, obviously afraid. 

“Let-Let me explain! Please, let me explain!” She hiccuped in a breath, sliding down and resting back on the fridge, hugging her knees to her body. “Love-” 

She shook her head, sniffling. “No, you can’t call me that. No-Not right now.” 

He sighed, sitting down across from her but keeping his distance. “Betty, I know you’re confused, okay? I-I understand that, I would be, too. But Betts - _Betty_ \- I am who I say I am, I just… nobody calls me Forsythe, like, ever!” 

“Don’t yell at me!” She sobbed and he sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t… you’re not allowed to yell at me.” 

He sighed, steadying himself. “Yes, my name _is_ Forsythe Pendlton Jones the third. I’m named after my dad. But I am not some fake person, I’m not lying about who I am or how I act. _That’s_ me, all Forsythe is is some dumb, stupid name.” 

“But it’s not,” her chin quivered and she moved so she was kneeling. “It’s your name and I didn’t even know that, yet you say you love me.” 

“I do love you. I love you so much.” She shook her head, lurching back when Jughead reached for her. “It’s a name-”

“It’s not just a name!” He cowered back, rubbing the palms of his hands on his thighs. “It’s _your_ name, your _full_ name and you didn’t even think to tell me it. I told you mine, why couldn’t you tell me yours?” 

“I was going to, Betty, I swear.” She gave him an incredulous look.

“When? When I’m dying?” He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face and running his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, that was too much.”

“No, you’re fine.” He clenched his jaw, Betty sniffling and wiping her cheeks. “I was going to tell you, it was just supposed to come up in-in simple conversation, you weren’t supposed to find out like this. God, you weren’t even supposed to know about the money.” 

She let out a clipped laugh, shaking her head. “Don’t even get me started on that.” 

“Listen, Caroline is the woman who hit me and my sister that day. I didn’t know I was in her will - I didn’t even know she was dying.” He cut himself off with a sigh, Betty watching him carefully. “Ever since the day in court that I didn’t get a pay out, she’s put anywhere from 300 dollars to almost 3,000 dollars in my bank account monthly. I’ve switched banks so many times, I did everything to try and get her to leave me alone, but she never did. Part of me is grateful for that because I… if I don’t want to work, I don’t have to. But I hate it because she thinks money can replace my sister.” Betty wiped at her face, watching her hands after she did so. “I had no clue I was in her will, she never mentioned it.” 

She looked up at him, tears brimming her eyes. “Why didn’t you just tell me? I’ve told you so much, yet you… you didn’t even tell me your first name.” 

“I… I hate talking about my money situation. I grew up… I didn’t have money growing up. I-I didn’t go to my classmates birthday parties because I had nothing to give them and if I asked if I could buy them something or-or make them something, I would get yelled at. By the time I was ten I was able to slip somebody's wallet out of their pocket without them realizing it; that’s how we got groceries sometimes.” She averted his eyes, taking in a deep breath. 

“But no one ever knew so I was able to excel in school and tutor kids and that made me money - good money because it was all rich kids who lived in the suburbs. That got me to college and once I left, my parents had both gotten jobs, _good jobs_ that they could have had when I was home, but they didn’t. I was mad at first, but Jelly was… she got raised around a steady income, never having to worry about anything.” 

He sighed, looking down at his hands. “When I got home from college that weekend, I had four dollars and thirty-two cents in my back account. The next time I left Toledo, I had 5,904 dollars and forty two cents in my bank account. It was blood money, it was my sister's death money, basically. It was the first time Caroline had paid. I am rich with my sister’s death money. All of it has blood - _her_ blood - on it and I hate it, but without it, I… I don’t know where I would be.” 

“So what I heard was… basically the woman who has been supporting you for…” 

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Six years.” 

“Six years is now dead and you are getting a million dollars and you’re throwing a fit.”

“I’m throwing a fit? You don’t get to tell me that I’m throwing a fit when you just… over a name that’s on my credit cards that you’ve seen! I am not throwing a fit, I have to relieve my sister dying in the back seat of my car - where she’s supposed to be safe - because she wouldn’t leave me alone! She was trying to pay me money to… to get me to forget what she took from me that day! So excuse me I didn’t tell you my first fucking name! You didn’t see me freak out when I heard your first name for the first time, did you?” She sucked her teeth, letting out a shaky sigh. “You didn’t because it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever been through and I know damn well that you not knowing that I was named after a pathetic bastard - not even just one, _two_ pathetic bastards - is not the worst thing you’ve ever been through either!” 

“I’m sorry, I just…” she sighed, sucking in a deep breath. “I never expected that. I thought I knew you, I thought I knew everything about you, I didn’t think there were any surprises left.” 

“My name was on my scans, Betty. I thought you knew already. And now my shit is all over my house, it’s freezing outside, we can’t step away, I’m not going to let you leave because there’s a storm coming and I’ll be damned if you drive and get in an accident. So… this is the one time I’m going to let you hide.” He leaned back against cupboards behind him, dropping his head back and squeezing his eyes closed. 

~

Jughead had cleaned downstairs, putting everything away and falling back on the couch angrily. He covered his eyes, with his hand while sucking in a deep breath. His hand slid down to cover his mouth as he fought a sob, going back to cover his eyes when he let out a long exhale. He stood up and cleared his throat, sniffling a little while wiping at the corner of his eye. 

He walked upstairs next, flipping off the downstairs light as he walked to his bedroom. He stilled with his hand on his door knob, turning when he heard Bailey jog up the stairs. 

“Hey, baby.” He squatted down and itched behind her ears before rubbing and kissing her head. He stood up and opened his bedroom door, Bailey running in and jumping on the bed. She whined when it was empty. “I know, we screwed up _already_.”

He sighed as he pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it in the direction of the hamper along with his jeans. He slipped into sweatpants, getting into the bed. 

For long moments he laid there, staring up at the ceiling and overthinking everything that had happened that day. Maybe he was harsh - too harsh. He had no right bringing up the scans again from when she had been snooping and he had no right assuming what she had been through. 

Sure, she screwed up too, he wasn’t going to just shove that aside. She freaked out over a name, a name that she could have easily asked about before panicking like she had. Then again, she could have gone through many things that _made_ her react like that. She could have gone through years of lies - with her family, relationships, friends - and it could have wrecked her. Or she simply was just terrible at hearing any type of surprising news. 

He groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. He knows he lost an ounce of trust with this (she may have lost an ounce of his own trust as well) and that he’ll have to work his ass off to get it back, but he’ll do anything because it’s Betty. Because she is the love of his life and he’ll be damned if he lets her get away over an overreaction and disagreement.

He shoved the covers off of him and stood up out of the bed, pulling his bedroom door open. He walked across the hall to the guest bedroom and stilled for a moment, taking in deep breaths. After he had gotten himself calm enough to where he wouldn’t react to anything, he pushed open the door, sighing. 

_She’s asleep_ , he thought. He was going to walk away but feigned away from it and walked further into the room. He sat down carefully on the bed, laying down next. He breathed slowly until he heard her sniffle, glancing over at her. She whimpered and he rolled, wrapping his arm around her waist when she sobbed. 

“I’m so sorry, Jug.” She held his wrist tightly in her hand, sucking in a shaky breath. “I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry.” 

He reached up and brushed at her eyes, kissing her cheeks. “No, Betts, you’re okay-”

“Stop!” He looked taken aback, leaning back to look at her better. “You can’t do that to me every time I get upset, you have to tell me when I’m doing too much.”

“I-I-I… okay.” 

“I did too much, I reacted horribly.” She sniffled, rolling onto her back and looking up at him. He looked down at her with sad, sorry eyes, brushing hair away that had stuck to her cheeks. “It’s a name and I acted like I had found out you were a murderer and I’m sorry, Jug, really, but… I don’t know. Being lied to, especially by you, it was scary. And you didn’t really lie to me, but in that moment I felt that I suddenly knew so little about you. It was terrifying. But now, after I really looked back at what I had done, I realized what I did wrong. I was dramatic and horrific and I was everything you probably don’t want in a girlfriend at that moment.” 

He sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry too, for-for yelling. I don’t really do that well when people panic because… I’ve-I’ve never really gone through it. What you did honestly scared me a lot, too. I didn’t know what you were going to do in that moment and-and I… I was making a list in my head of everyone I could call in a situation like that.” She looked away from his eyes and he sighed again. “I don’t… I’m not going to understand why you did what you did fully, but I forgive you because I love you and life is… scary.” 

“You still love me?” They both laughed, Jughead nodding.

“Yes, I still love you. You’re Betty Cooper, how the hell _couldn‘t_ I love you?” She giggled a little, reaching up to brush her thumbs over his cheeks. “I love you Betty and nothing you do will ever change that. I should have told you about… I should have told you everything. I just don’t like talking about it, that’s why it never came up.” She nodded, Jughead leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “Let’s go back to our room, please.” She smiled, pushing him to her side. 

~

Betty huffed, sighing as she stared out the window. “You okay?” Jughead asked it with a raised brow, tapping his cigarette ashes into an ashtray. 

She looked back at him, nodding. “Yeah, I just don’t want the snow to melt. I feel like I haven’t seen enough of it.” 

“The snow can _gladly_ go away.” She frowned at him, standing up off the floor and walking over to Jughead on the couch. “It’s cold and it gets nasty. I want to see the grass and the sun. Plus, Archie has a lake house that him, Veronica, and I all go to over the summer. I think you’d like it.” 

She knelt beside him, raising her eyebrow. “Why didn’t we go last year?” 

“I don’t know, I didn’t really think you would want to do that since we had just met so I just didn’t go.” She sighed, nodding. “But this year we’ll go. The dogs love it too, especially Scout.” 

“Who’s Veronica?” 

He adjusted himself in his seat, snuffing out his cigarette. “Veronica is Archie’s wife.”

“Is she nice? Will she like me?” He sighed, shrugging. “She won’t like me, will she?” 

“No, it’s not that. Veronica’s just… well, she’s… you can’t take what she says to heart. It’s just… it’s how she is, you know. She doesn’t realize she’s being rude sometimes.” 

She chewed her lip, blinking at Jughead. “So, she’s going to be mean is basically what you’re saying?” 

“Yes and no, I’m not sure how to explain it. But if she says something that upsets you, just walk away, okay?” She nodded, moving to sit closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. “And we still have about five months until the trip anyway.” 

She nodded again before picking her head up, furrowing her brows. “Wait, how long do you go there for?” 

“About a week or so.” 

“Okay.” She kissed his cheek, dropping her head to his shoulder again. 

~

The months leading up to the trip went by in a flash and before they knew it, it was a week before they had to leave and Betty was frantically packing their bags. 

“This could have been done weeks ago. How do you not know if you have swim trunks or not?” She huffed as she dug around in his dresser, Jughead shrugging. 

“I don’t know. I don’t swim?” She frowned over her shoulder at him and he just ate the sandwich in his hands. 

“You’re not helping.” He sighed, finishing the sandwich and coming over to stand next to her. “Are you sure you actually have a pair?” 

“Here, they might be at the top of the closet.” He walked over to said closet while she stayed back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Ah, see?” He held the pair of black swim trunks out to her and she sighed. 

“You really had to wait until I got upset to tell me?” He chuckled, walking over to her and kissing her cheek. “That’s not very nice of you.” 

“But look, now you have them and now the universe is back to being aligned.” She rolled her eyes playfully, folding the item and placing it in their bag. “Also, why are you packing so early?” 

“Not _all_ of us wait until two minutes before they leave to pack like you do.” He shrugged, falling back on the bed. 

“When you do that, you only grab things you absolutely need. It’s the most efficient way to do things.” She zipped the bag, setting it aside. “I think I’m very smart for doing things that way.” 

“Mm, really?” She walked over to him with a sway in her hips, pushing Jughead back on the bed when he sat up as she moved to straddle his hips. 

“Yes, everyone should start doing it. You should, too, it really helps with packing light.” She nodded, kissing over his jaw and down his neck. “What are you doing?” 

“You’ll see.” He furrowed his brows and raised up on his elbows, Betty kissing down his stomach and hooking her fingers into the side of his sweatpants and tugging. 

“Betts,” he gave her a look of lust but you could see how he was giving her an out if she needed it. “You don’t-”

“Shh, just let me do this.” She bit the inside of his thigh and his nostrils flared, his head falling back as he groaned while she took him into her mouth. 

~

“Are you sure we have everything? What if we get there and we realize we left something? We have all three of the dogs right?” Betty gasped, turning in her seat to look at Jughead. ”What if we left a dog?”

He laughed, reaching across the seat to squeeze her hand. “Betts, we have everything, I promise. And if we don’t, we can just go get it. But I can assure you two thousand percent, we have all three of the dogs. They’re all back there, their heads up, sniffing the air.” 

“You’re sure?” He glanced over at her, giving her a smile filled with amusement. “Okay, I’m worrying for no reason.” 

“Why?” 

“I’m…” She sighed, looking down at their hands. “What if Veronica doesn’t like me and she makes that known and it makes you not like me?” 

“Okay,” he pulled the truck over, turning it off before turning to completely face Betty. “I love you and like I always say, nothing is going to change that. And trust me, Veronica is the _last_ person who would change my mind about you. You don’t have to worry about her and don’t listen to her or anything she says. Half the time she wants to get under your skin, but you can’t let her because as soon as you do, she basically pounces and you become her punching bag until… for however long she wants you to be.” She sighed and he held both of her hands. “If you ever want to leave, you just tell me and we will, no questions asked, okay?” 

She nodded, sighing. “I’m sorry for being like this-”

“Hey, no apologizing. I will reassure you until I run out of air, or at least until you need it.” She smiled tinily, Jughead kissing her cheek and starting the drive again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else thinks Betty completely overreacted in the beginning? But at least she is starting to realize her faults. Also, I promise y’all, the next chapter is a very good one for bughead.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead go to a lake house to spend time alone and to also spend some time with Archie and his fiancé, Veronica.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Jughead pulled down the driveway of the lake house, giving Betty’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Remember, just ignore her.” She nodded, sighing and smoothing her hands over her skirt. “And just because I know she’ll probably comment on your outfit first, you look stunning.” 

“I’m in a cheap t-shirt and a skirt from Forever 21. I’m as bland as I could be.” He pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes. 

“Stunning.” She giggled as he kissed her, smiling wide when he pulled back. He walked around the truck and helped her out before he walked to the back of the truck, opening the tailgate to let the dogs out. 

“You made it!” Jughead and Betty both turned to look at Archie, Jughead giving a nod while Betty watched the ground carefully. “And Betty of course. Let me go get Veronica.” 

Jughead touched the small of Betty’s back and she looked at him nervously. “Smile and ignore.” 

“Smile and…” she took in a deep breath, smiling at him. “Ignore.” He chuckled, threading his fingers through hers as they walked into the house. 

“Okay,” Archie smiled proudly beside Veronica. “Betty, Veronica. Veronica, Betty.” 

“Hi.” Betty held her hand out but Veronica just glanced at it, crossing her arms over her chest. Betty pinned it back to her side, an embarrassed blush high on her cheeks. She glanced over to Jughead who just gave her a small sorry smile.

Archie nudged Veronica and gave her a look. She rolled her eyes, sighing. “Jughead will show you to your room, dinner will be done in twenty minutes.” Veronica walked away when she was done and Jughead rubbed the back of his neck nervously. 

“She’s not normally like this.” Archie chuckled, walking away in the direction Veronica had gone in. 

Betty let out a sigh, turning to Jughead with sad eyes. “It’s me, isn’t it?” 

“No, Betty, it’s not you, she’s the same way with me.” She nodded, following Jughead up the stairs. He pushed open the door and she gasped. 

“Oh, wow. Do all the rooms look like this?” He nodded, closing the bedroom door. “This is gorgeous. This place must cost a fortune.”

“It’s Veronica’s dad's money so yes, it does cost a fortune—a fortune no normal person has. Her dad bought it for them as their wedding gift.” He set their bag down on the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist. “So thank God Archie married the person whose father has something like this because me and you get a week of it.” 

She shook her head, turning to look at him over her shoulder. “That’s not very nice, using someone for their money or for what they own.”

“I’m not. They offered, I accepted.” She rolled her eyes playfully and he narrowed his eyes. “Don’t roll your eyes at me,” she giggled, Jughead capturing her mouth in a slow and passionate kiss that had her leaning into him, sliding her hand into his hair to hold his mouth to hers. He pulled back with a huff, resting his forehead on hers. “We can’t. Not right now at least. If we’re not at dinner, we’ll get scolded for life, or at least until our ears bleed.” 

She smiled at him and he kissed her quickly again, letting go of her. “So, is Veronica ever going to _actually_ talk to us?”

“Maybe? It depends, really. She’s like a locked door, you don’t get much out of her. It’s never bothered me because I’m the same way, but if she says something just tell me, I’ll deal with it.”

“Jug, just because I don’t know her doesn’t mean I can’t deal with her if she starts getting moody. It’s not like I’m scared of her.” He nodded, sighing. “But if at any point I feel like I can’t deal with it, I’ll tell you.” 

“Ugh!” They looked towards the bedroom door at Veronica’s whine. “Jughead, come get your stupid dogs! Ew, get off of me!” He hurried from the room, Betty following and they caught Veronica shoving Scout away from her roughly. “God, control them.” 

Jughead knelt down to Scout, rubbing his head as he watched Veronica walk away with furrowed brows, Archie nowhere to be seen. “What was all that for? He, what, touched her foot?” Jughead glanced to Betty at her words, sighing. “Is he okay, Jug?”

“Yeah, he looks fine.” She walked over to Jughead and Scout, squatting down and petting his back lightly.

“Why did she do that?” He shrugged, shaking his head. “Do you know where Bailey and Hotdog are?”

“Bailey went into our room when we left, Hotdog is probably off with Archie.” As soon as he said that, Archie walked inside the house, Hotdog on his heels. “My points proven.”

“I heard shouting. What happened?” Betty and Jughead both stood, Jughead crossing his arms. 

“Nothing.” He gave his friend a smile and Betty gave Jughead a confused look. 

“But, Jug-” 

He cut her off, raising his brows. “Nothing happened.” He said it through gritted teeth, Betty watching him with confusion. 

“W-What about-” He sighed and gave her a pointed look. She stopped talking quickly.

“Okay, well, dinners done. I mean it’s just burgers but… it’s like old times, you know?” Jughead clapped Archie on the back, the two men walking away while starting a conversation. Betty watched them walk away, glancing down to Scout at her feet with a frown. 

~

“I don’t know what I expected today to be like, but this was not it.” Jughead furrowed his brows as he looked at Betty, watching her get in bed.

He placed the book he had in his hand on the nightstand, turning back to her. “What do you mean?”

“I thought it would be, like,” she laughed, shaking her head. “Sunbathing and boat ride type things. But then we got here and… it wasn’t.” 

Jughead chuckled, smirking. “That’s usually what happens tomorrow. The first day we get here is always kind of off and weird—especially since Veronica. And don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Archie’s happy with her but sometimes she just… it’s just weird sometimes, you know? I’ve never…” He chuckled, Betty raising her eyebrow. 

“What? Am I the first woman you’ve brought here?” He smiled sheepishly and she scoffed. 

“What? I'm not necessarily one with the ladies, Betts.” She smiled at him, moving over to straddle his thighs. 

“Are you saying you don’t bring all your women here?” He chuckled, his hands slipping under her t-shirt to grip her waist. “Wow, I feel special.” He raised his brows and she smiled playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I do have to say, this would be a first for me, too.” 

“Oh, really?” She nodded with a smile and giggled as he rolled her over. “Well, we have a lot of things we need to do in this room.” He leaned down and kissed her, their laughs turning into moans. 

~

Betty swatted Jughead’s hand away as they walked down stairs, the two of them laughing like children. Veronica rolled her eyes and they froze, Betty pushing Jughead’s hand away more forcefully when he reached for her waist. 

“Hey, good morning, guys. You sleep well?” Archie was jumpy and jittery, his movements staccato and quick. It left Jughead unnerved and he held Betty’s hand tightly under the counter when they stood beside it. “Do you want coffee? I know Jughead takes his black, how do you take yours, Betty? Cream? Sugar? Both?” 

“Uh, actually, Arch, we were going to take the dogs for a walk. We’ll be back later, after breakfast.” He looked to Veronica when he said after and she glanced away, turning from the two of them. “We’ll see you later.” 

Betty followed Jughead in confusion but helped him get leashes on the dogs. They were out the door in seconds, Jughead taking her on a wooded trail. 

“Are they okay? Why did we leave?” He pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket with a sigh, lighting it and taking a long drag before looking over at her. 

“No, they’re not.” He swallowed, watching his feet as they walked. “They’re marriage is falling apart and they’re trying to fix it.” 

She looked over at him, her brows furrowed, confusion etched into her features. “How do you know?” 

“He told me so, last night.” He tightened his hold on Scout’s leash, taking a drag of his cigarette.

“What? When? You two were never alone.” 

He sighed, smoke billowing from his mouth as he did so. “Last night, after you had fallen asleep, I got dressed and went downstairs for water. He was sitting at the counter just-just staring at… nothing basically. I sat down next to him and he just started talking.”

She frowned, biting her lip. “Well, what’d he say?”

“Um, I guess him and Veronica have been fighting a lot lately over small things like if he drops an ice cube and forgets about it, or if she misplaces her keys. They invited us here because they thought the… I’m not sure, the…” He cut himself off, taking another drag of his cigarette before pinching it and dropping it in his pocket.

“The way it makes things feel normal? Innocent?” He glanced over at her, nodding.

“Yeah, exactly that. They, uh… they thought it would fix things, but it’s not. And it’s not your fault, I know you’re thinking it is. They’re marriage is just… ending. They got married young—too young. They got married three days after high school graduation, or that’s what Archie had told me. He says he’s surprised they’ve made it this long.” 

“That’s so sad. I feel horrible.” Jughead nodded and they stayed quiet for long moments. She broke it with her sigh. “They seemed… the way you described them, they seem like they love each other.”

“They do—or at least did. But you know, sometimes…” He sighed, looking down at his hands. “Sometimes even the most perfect people, behind closed doors, they just aren’t.” They fell quiet again but this time, it was just for a few seconds. “This isn’t the first time they discussed divorce, not to me at least.” Her face fell and her heart sank. “They went to two different colleges. For four years, they were apart, only seeing each other for a month in the summer. I watched Archie…” He shook his head, letting out a long exhale.

“He cheated?” He gave her a sad look and her face fell even more, if that was possible. 

“Four times and every time, he begged me not to tell. But I couldn’t do that, sit there and… lie to the woman he supposedly loved. It ate at me for weeks until I finally caved. I called her, I told her, I didn’t think she believed me because she seemed fine.” She motioned to a shaded spot under a tree and he nodded. They stayed quiet as they walked over, the two of them sitting against the tree while Bailey, Scout, and Hotdog laid in front of them. “A week later, after I called, Archie kicked me out of our apartment. She was holding a divorce above his head. It obviously never happened but still. I caused that. I’m the one who started the down spiral of their relationship.”

“No, Jug. No, you’re not.” She grabbed his hand, squeezing it when he looked at her. “Jug, if you hadn’t told her… you did the right thing, this isn’t your fault. She deserved to know, whether it came from you or him, she deserved to know.” He nodded, laying his head back on the tree.

“I think they want a baby to save their marriage but it won’t work. I’ve been that baby, Jelly was that baby, too. If they have a baby and… and they stay together for that baby, all that baby will know is yelling. There will probably never be a week that will go by that that baby won’t question why they’re parents are still together. That baby’s life will be miserable and the nights… they’ll have the blankets pulled over their head, trying to read or-or something while Veronica and Archie argue over nothing.” He sighed, looking down at his hands.

“I’m sorry you went through that. I was too young to remember when… when my parents would fight, but I can’t imagine going through it alone. The only thing I remember is Polly holding me and covering my ears, trying to tell me it’ll all be okay. You deserved that, too, you needed that.” He reached up and cupped her cheek, Betty closing her eyes and taking in a shaky breath. 

“I told myself that all the time, it never was okay but there were good days. When it was just me and my mom or me and my dad. But, I couldn’t fathom going through a divorce. That had to be hard in itself.” Betty shrugged, removing his hand from her cheek and tracing his palm like she did when she was explaining something personal.

“It was okay. The hardest part was staying in LA for six months, then going to New York for six months. Every time I came back, my friends made new friends so I had to, too. But when I was 15, my dad's alcoholism got really, really bad and he kicked my sister and I out. We didn’t go to our mom, she would only make our dad worse. So she raised me, my sister. Those were the hardest parts of the divorce.” She laid her head on his shoulder, threading her fingers through his after a moment. “I thought my parents were in love, I thought that was love for so long.” 

“Everyone does.” He smiled a little, swallowed thickly. “Every little kid looks at their parents and they think, ‘that’s true love’. No matter what they do to each other, no matter what they say, it’s true love to that kid. But then they read a few books and they see the other families on the street or-or their neighbors. Like how they don’t yell when they have an ‘adult’ conversation; how they don’t make you run five steps ahead of them so they can disagree about something _you_ did; how they don’t argue about who ran the electric bill three dollars high even though you know _you're_ the one who did it because you are _so_ afraid of what comes in the dark but you can’t run to mommy or daddy because you know if you do, the other will start yelling and that will end with a door being slammed so hard, the wood cracks.” 

Betty wiped at the tear that escaped the corner of her eye, holding back her gasp. “Oh my god.”

“Yeah, that was a Monday night for me.” She sighed shakily, glancing up at him. “I made it out okay.” She shook her head, leaping up and pulling him into a hug. He held her back tightly, taking the two dog leashes from her hand, her other arm wrapping around him tightly. “Betts, I’m okay.”

She pulled back, cupping his face. “It’s not fair you had to go through that. I never went through anything that bad.” 

“Good, because you’re never going to. As long as you’re with me, I will never put you through that.” She hugged him tightly again, Jughead holding her as she cried lightly. 

~

They had gotten back to the house after about an hour, Archie sitting on the back porch while Veronica was seated beside him, sunbathing. Jughead gave him a questioning glance and he just shook his head. 

Betty and Jughead continued walking inside, both of them unclipping the dogs from the leash before walking upstairs. “I’m going to shower.” Betty smirked at Jughead as she said the words and he picked her up, kissing her quickly as he carried them into the bathroom. 

~

“You can’t have anything without frills?” He tugged on the strap of her swim top and she scoffed. “It’s cute.” She narrowed her eyes and he chuckled. “I mean it!” 

She laughed, Jughead kissing her forehead. “There’s no boats, right? I don’t do boats.”

“I kinda remember saying you expected boats last night.”

She groaned, looking up at him with a laugh. “Jug,” 

He chuckled himself.“Okay, okay.” He laughed, resting his hand on her shoulder. “You’re in luck because neither do I.” 

“They’re just creepy and weird. I would fall overboard and drown if I even stepped foot on one, it’s why I never take the ferry in New York.” He chuckled, following her downstairs. 

“You are something else, Betty Cooper.” She smiled proudly, Jughead placing his hand on the small of her back as they walked outside. “Do you still prefer snow over this?”

She gasped, looking back at him. “It would be so beautiful out here in the winter!” He chuckled, shaking his head. They met Archie and Veronica on the dock, Veronica still sunbathing while Archie dipped his feet in the water, stuck in his own world. “Is the water cold?” 

“Shouldn’t be.” She frowned and he shrugged. “It’s the truth.” She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “You’re not worried about getting your hair wet, are you?” 

She looked back at him, her brows furrowed. “No, why?” He dropped their towels down into a chair, walking over to her. “Oh, no. Don’t you dare!” She screamed as he pulled her down into the water with him, wiping her face when her head came up out of the water. He watched her carefully, waiting for her to lash out but laughed when she did as well. “That was unnecessary!” She splashed him, Jughead doing it back. 

“At least someone’s happy here.” Veronica stood up from the chair with attitude, her nose held high. 

“Veronica. Baby, come on.” Archie stood up, following her up to the house. “Veronica!” Betty gave Jughead a wry look and he gave her one back. 

“It’s not our fault.” He said it carefully, Betty moving over towards him and wrapping her legs around his waist. 

“You know,” she started sensually. “They’re probably going to need time to cool off. We should probably stay out here.” She kissed his jaw, Jughead leaning his head to the side.

“Is that so?” He asked. She picked her head up and nodded, kissing him roughly. 

~

A few days had gone by and Veronica had cooled down, as well as Archie. Betty and Jughead had kept to themselves, focussing on doing their own thing away from them. But now Jughead sat nervously, rolling a box in his hand inside his pants pocket as he waited for Betty to walk downstairs. 

“I still don’t get what we’re doing.” He let go of the box, chuckling as he turned towards her. 

“That’s the whole point.” She huffed and he smoothed the edges of her cardigan. “Trust me, okay?” She nodded, smiling when he kissed her forehead. “You sure you don’t want to change?”

“Yes, I know how to walk in a sundress, Jug.” He laughed, holding the door open for her. “I actually prefer walking in a dress, I’m less constricted.”

He glanced over at her, a confused but playful smile on his face. “I can’t tell if that was supposed to be a sex joke or not.” 

She laughed, a blush rising to her cheeks. “I don’t know either.” They laughed together, Jughead taking her hand and threading his fingers through hers. 

They were silent as they walked through the trail, Betty admiring different things about it she hadn’t realized that morning. And Jughead just walked with anxiety in the pit of his stomach, part of wanting to back out of what he had planned—he wasn’t one who enjoyed rejection, it was embarrassing. 

As Betty watched the trail as they walked, she squinted as it started to get brighter and brighter. Her eyes widened as they approached a blanket with lights placed all around it. “Jug, what is all of this?”

He sighed, rubbing his hand over his thighs. “Stop me whenever okay?”

“What the hell are you doing?” He cleared his throat, dropping to one knee in front of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So,,,,, what do we think about Jughead’s surprise??? Too early??? What do we think Betty’s gonna say??? (i feel weird writing things like this. i feel like the questions aren’t real lmfao). But seriously, are we surprised that they’re moving this fast??


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead pops the question and waits wryly for Betty’s response. They’re overly ecstatic in the beginning, ready to start the next chapter of their life. But, by the end, something is thrown at them that neither of them expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

“Jug, oh my god.” Tears welled in Betty’s eyes as she covered her mouth in shock, watching Jughead carefully. 

“I know it’s only been a little over a year since I met you and it’s been exactly a year since we first got together, but I love you Betty and it’s so excessive I feel like I have to do this.” He pulled a box from his pocket and she gasped, tears sliding down her cheeks. “You can say no because I know it’s super early and we’re watching a marriage fall apart so if you’re scared, I understand. Or if you just simply don’t want to, that’s fine, too. But Betty, I have loved you since you knocked on my door and I want a life with you. One with some big wedding—or small, I wouldn’t mind—and kids running around chasing the dogs and learning to ride the horses. You’ve made me realize this and I’m so thankful,” he stood, taking the ring from the box and holding it out to her, his hand shaking slightly. “So, I’m asking you, if you’ll marry me?” 

She looked at him for a moment, his face wracked with nerves. But after another beat, she started to nod and his face lost the fear and turned to relief. 

“Yes? Yes, you’ll marry me?” 

“Yes! Yes, I will marry you, you big dork!” He slipped the ring onto her finger, kissing her quickly before she hugged him and laughed. “Oh my god, I’ve never felt my heart pound like that before.” He pulled back from their hug, cupping her cheeks and wiping her tears. She placed her hand on his chest, sniffling as she looked at the ring. 

“I-I know it’s not much, we can always get a different one if you want. I just didn’t know what you would like so I went with the-” she cut him off with a kiss, Jughead sighing when they pulled apart. 

“Jug, it’s gorgeous. I love it so much.” He kissed her again, resting his forehead on hers. “How long have you been planning this?” 

“I’m not sure, but it became full proof about a month ago. That’s when I bought the ring.” She smiled, pulling her head off of his. “You’re sure you don’t want a different one? Or you don’t want to wait? I won’t be offended, Betts.”

She cupped his cheeks, giving him a reassuring smile. “Jug, I mean this when I say it, I absolutely love it. It needs to be fitted correctly, but it’s perfect. It’s the only engagement ring I ever want to wear. And no, Jug, I don’t want to wait. We did everything fast and so far, I think we’ve turned out pretty great.” 

He chuckled, kissing her deeply, her hands threading through the hair at the nape of his neck. “You just made my self esteem go way too high up.” She threw her head back and laughed, Jughead smiling wide at the noise. 

They had walked back to the house after that and were glad when they found it silent. He had carried her to bed where he made love to her thoroughly and languidly, leaving each of them spent and exhausted afterwards. The two of them laid in bed and watching her ring catch the light off the moon until they fell into a deep, restful sleep. 

~

Betty woke up the next morning to Jughead kissing down her stomach and she threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging on it to get his attention. She furrowed her brows in question even if she knew what he was about to do. 

He gave her a cocky smile, hooking his fingers in the side of her underwear. “I’m hungry.” He winked and she groaned as he chuckled groggily. 

He pulled her underwear off, kissing back up her legs. He nipped at the inside of her thighs before he pressed a light kiss over her center, sighing. Her hips bucked up and he chuckled, smirking at her arrogantly. 

He took a moment to admire her. The way the early morning sun shined above her, casting a glow above her face as her chest heaved under her t-shirt and the green color of her irises shimmered. He could drown in her beauty. 

He placed another light kiss just over her center again and she moaned, her hips casting up but his hand held her waist down. “Needy this morning, are we?” 

“Juggie, _please_.” She held his gaze, her nails grazing over his scalp. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment before they opened, his pupils blown even wider than they were before. “Please…” 

He sighed again and she whimpered, her head falling back as she moaned when he licked a stripe over her. His tongue curled inside of her and his thumb rubbed tight circles over her clit. Her hips rolled under his hold he had on her, her hands tightening his hold on her hair.

“Oh my god,” Her head pushed into the bed as he sucked her clit into his mouth, sliding two fingers inside of her. He worked her for some time before her legs fell open wider and they started to tremble and shake. “J-Jug, I’m…” She moaned again, biting her lip. 

“Let go, Betts. I got you.” She glanced down at him, the tightly bounded string inside of her snapping as soon as he curled his fingers inside of her. 

She came with a loud moan, her head pressing back into the pillow as Jughead lapped at her, taking every last drop she gave him. He worked her until she wilted breathlessly into the bed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before coming to lay beside her. 

He brushed hair away from her face as she panted, her eyes closed tightly. “Hey, Betts, are you okay?” He kissed her cheek, tucking hair behind her ear. 

He watched her with bated breath, his jaw clenched. “Oh my god, that was…” She cut herself off with a sigh, Jughead smirking. “Wow, I… Jug, that was…” She shook her head, reaching up and covering her face with her hands. “I can’t think straight.” 

“That’s the whole point.” He chuckled, kissing her soundly. She moaned into his mouth, tasting herself on his tongue. 

She cupped his face, moving to straddle his hips. Her hands pushed his sweatpants and boxers down, Jughead pulling back to help her. 

When they were down around his knees she rose up on her knees, aligning herself before sinking down on him. He groaned, grasping her chin lightly to kiss her roughly. She started moving on him slowly, rolling her hips, watching his head fall back and his eyes roll into the back of his head. 

She bit at his neck, gasping when his hands slipped under her t-shirt and he palmed her breasts roughly. She sucked a bruise into his shoulder, letting out a breathy moan when he thrusted his hips up. 

He flipped them, Betty’s legs wrapping around his waist as he thrusted into her quickly, his hand snaking between them to bump her clit. She moaned in his ear and he grunted, his stomach starting to tighten. 

“God, Betts, tell me you’re close. Please tell me you’re close.” He held himself back, his hand curling into the sheet beside her head. “Betty, _please_. I need you to tell me you’re close.” 

She whimpered and choked on a moan, nodding. “Yes, yes, Jug. I’m close, I-I’m so…” Her mouth opened in a silent moan, her nails digging into his back. “Jug, I’m going to-” 

He kissed her, swallowing her moan as her muscles fluttered around him, pulling him deeper as he spilled inside of her. “Fuck,” he mumbled it into her neck, sighing as he rolled to the side of her. 

They laid there for long moments just catching their breath until Betty moved to lay her head on his chest, just above his heart. He smoothed her hair that had fallen from her ponytail while she had slept and during their radavous, placing a kiss to the top of her head. 

He grabbed her hand, threading their fingers together as he looked at the ring on her finger. “You’re sure you want this? You really want to marry me?” 

She tilted her head back, smiling up at him. “ _Of course_ I want to marry you.” She placed a kiss just under his chin, Jughead smiling down at her. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” He kissed her quickly, sitting up. “When we can walk and think again, join me in the shower?” She giggled, nodding before kissing him again. 

~

Jughead walked downstairs behind Betty, his hand in his pockets. “Did you do it?” Archie asked the question with hopeful eyes and Jughead gave a single nod. “Congratulations.” Betty smiled sheepishly, squeezing Jughead’s free hand when Veronica walked over. 

“You two got engaged?” Betty nodded and Veronica motioned to her hand. She held it when Betty raised it out to her, inspecting the ring. “Cute. Good luck.” 

“Okay, seriously?” Archie scoffed. 

“I did nothing wrong, Archie. You’re the one who’s taking it out of context.” 

“Out of-” Archie rolled his eyes, following Veronica into a different room. Betty looked back at Jughead and he sighed. “I’m so sorry.” Archie said before he closed the door, shouting following the action. 

Jughead rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat. “Um, why don’t we go on a walk? With the dogs?” 

“On the trail?” He shook his head and she furrowed her brows. “Where?” 

“There’s a small town a few miles away. It has all different things there and they allow dogs in, like, every place. I don’t know why but… it’s kind of convenient. We can go there to get away and give them time to… talk, I guess.” She nodded, the two of them splitting up to get the dogs. 

They met up at the truck, Jughead holding Betty’s door open for her. “Do you think this is it for them? They’re done?” 

He glanced over to Betty after he had gotten inside and started the truck, sighing. “Yeah, probably. Unless they try counseling but even that doesn’t… it rarely works, especially with their situation.” She gave him a sad look and he squeezed her hand, bringing it up to his mouth and placing a kiss to her knuckles. 

They drove the rest of the way in silence, Jughead finding an empty parking lot to leave his truck. “This place kind of reminds me of Riverdale if it was more city-like.” 

“You think so?” He raised his brow, passing her Hotdog’s leash as she nodded. “I guess you could see it that way. It’s much nicer than Riverdale though.” 

She shrugged, taking his hand when he held it out to her. “I like it up here. It’s nice and… cute.” 

He chuckled, smiling at her. “Cute? Is that your favorite word?” 

“Maybe…” She smirked up at him, Jughead pressing a kiss to her temple. “When do we go home? Tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, but we can always come back. It’s not that far from home so we could probably spend a day here, we would just get back kind of late.” She nodded, pointing ahead. 

“We should get ice cream on the way back.” He gave her a nod, wrapping Scout’s and Bailey’s leashes tighter around his hand. 

“Why don’t we get lunch? We can eat by the water if you want.” 

She smiled up at him, nodding. “That sounds good.” 

“Okay. There’s a diner just up ahead. It’s not as good as Pop’s but it’s a close second.” She gave him a confused look and he furrowed his brows at her. “What?” 

“What’s Pop’s? Is that here?” 

He watched her for a moment before he realized what she was asking. “Oh, you haven’t been to Pop’s yet, have you?” She shook her head and he nodded. “Pop’s is a diner in Riverdale, I’m surprised we haven't gone yet.” 

She shrugged, walking inside when Jughead pulled the door open to the diner. “You never even mentioned it.” 

“Hm, we should go when we get home.” He followed behind her, the two of them ordering their food before buying a cheap blanket to sit on. They walked to the spot by the river Jughead had mentioned and he laid the blanket down. Betty thanked him and did a dramatic curtsy, the two of them chuckling. 

They held a light conversation as they ate and he told her about Pop’s. It ended with the two of them laying on the ground, their hands threaded together and the dogs lying at their feet. 

“Jug,” she tilted her head back as he glanced down at her, his brows furrowed. “Do you want kids or… is that still no?” He sighed, laying his head back. She sat up, looking at him with her head tilted to the side. “If you don’t I can… I can deal, Jug. And I know last night you said you want kids, but if there’s, like, rules for that, that’s-that’s fine, I think.” 

“No, Betts...” He huffed, rubbing her arm and coaxing her head back down to his chest. “My fear about having kids is my dad, he’s the reason I didn’t want any. But the more and more I’m with you, the more I _do_ want kids. When we had that argument over this a while back, I realized how stupid my reason was and I taught myself how to get over it. I’m not my dad, I will never be my dad, I’ve sworn on that since the day I knew what my dad was capable of and not having kids isn’t going to prove that I’m not like my dad.” 

She sat up again, her hand on his chest. “So, you do?” 

He squeezed her arm, giving her a small smile. “With you, yes.” 

“What does that mean?” 

He sighed, sitting up. “It means you, Betty Cooper, will be the only woman to carry my children.” She blushed and tried to fight her smile, Jughead chuckling. “Unless we adopt, of course.” She laughed a little, kissing his cheek. 

~

Betty and Jughead had left the lake house a few hours later, getting home late at night. The next day Betty had convinced him to go on a run with her, but it was cut short when they noticed the rain storm coming towards them. 

“Hey, you’re going to jinx it.” Jughead jogged in front of Betty and she laughed, picking up her pace before jumping into his arms. They both laughed, looking up at the clouds looming above them. 

“I’m not jinxing nothing.” She smiled, kissing him quickly. “And, god forbid, if it does rain, we’re, like, 20 steps from the house.”

He looked over his shoulder at the house, adjusting her higher up on his waist. “But we’ll still be soaked.” 

“Mm, I’m surprised you don’t want that.” He laughed, kissing her again just as thunder cracked above them, rain coming down quickly. She pulled back, squinting. “I jinxed it.” 

“You think?” They laughed as he walked them to the house, Jughead dropping her on the porch, her teeth chattering. “God, you’re freezing.” 

“Well, d-do you see what I’m w-wearing?” He opened the door and she walked inside, pulling her ponytail out. He rubbed her arms as they walked up the stairs, pushing open the bedroom door. 

“I can start a fire-”

“Shower.” He raised an eyebrow and she held her hand out. “Come take a shower with me.” He chuckled, pulling his t-shirt over his head while Betty pulled off her sports bra.

~

Betty walked downstairs, walking outside and meeting Jughead in the horse stables. “Hey, Jug?” 

He turned his head, smiling. “What’s up?” 

“I was wondering if we could go to that diner you were talking about.” 

“Pop’s?” She nodded and he squeezed her shoulder. “Yeah, we have to get your ring fitted today, too, don’t we?”

She gasped, huffing. “I forgot all about that, yeah we do. But can we go to Pop’s?”

“Yeah, of course. Let me go change and make sure the dogs are in the house then we can go.” He kissed her cheek, walking past her and into the house. He came back a few minutes later, Betty waiting by the truck. “You ready?” She nodded and got into the truck, the two of them driving into town in silence. 

~

“Why have we never come here before?” Jughead shrugged as he popped a piece of fry into his mouth. “You should have told me about this place sooner.” 

“I’m sorry for keeping it a secret.” She giggled and sipped her milkshake. “So, how many sizes off was I on the ring?” 

“One. I’m a size five.” She glanced down at her hand, flashing it to Jughead. “It fits perfectly now.”

“I’m asking one last time: you actually like the ring?” 

“Yes, it’s beautiful. I hate those big, huge rings that everyone else always has. They’re just… I would get them stuck on _everything_ and this one is so simple and delicate, it’s perfect. I mean it.” He smiled, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it. “You know a way to a woman’s heart with that, Jug.” 

He chuckled, eating another fry. “So, how soon do you want our wedding to happen?” 

“Hm, lets see. We’ve been engaged for almost a month, so not this year, that’s way too soon.” He nodded, agreeing silently. “Maybe we wait? Like, until next fall? Fall weddings are beautiful. Or we could always just have a courthouse wedding, but that would disappoint my family a lot. They really want me to have a wedding.” 

“I want to _give_ you a wedding.” She smiled, folding her arms on the table. “So we’re talking next fall?” 

She bit her lip, raising her shoulders. “Too early?” 

“No, it’s a good time.” He sighed, pushing his plate away. 

“Am I wrong for not telling Kevin o-or my family about this? Does that make me a bad person?” Jughead put money down on the table, standing up and shaking his head. Betty followed. 

“No, it’s your engagement, Betts. If you want to tell them, that’s okay. If you’re not ready yet, that’s okay, too.” She sighed and he squeezed her shoulder. “Betts, you’re fine. Just tell them when you’re ready.” 

He held the door open for her and she huffed. “I think I want to tell Kevin. I want to wait a little longer for my family because they will flip and start planning out everything vigorously.” Jughead snickered, opening her truck door. “I mean Kevin will too but I can deal with Kev. He makes it slightly bearable because he understands when to stop.” He smiled over at her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. “Are you going to tell your parents?” 

He sighed, starting the truck. “I don’t know. I think I’ll invite them to the reception, see what happens but that’s still… still so far away. I can change my mind by then, you know? But I don’t think I want to tell them about the engagement. That’ll just…” He sighed again, rubbing a hand over his face. “They’ll take it as an opening to-to come back into my life and… I’m still not ready for that. I spent… after my surgeries, I spent almost two years with them trying to recover and it was…”

“You couldn’t recover?” He looked over at her, shaking his head. “They say you need a quiet place to do something like that, I would imagine that’s when you came out to your house?” 

He laughed, grinning a little. “Yep, that’s… exactly what happened. I mean, Archie came with me because I couldn’t do anything—more so, I wasn’t supposed to. But when he left and I was alone—completely alone—for the first time in years… I don’t know, it was weird. It was quiet and… eerie.” 

“What about the dogs?” He slowed to a stop at a stoplight, pulling his cigarettes out. 

“Didn’t have ‘em. I didn’t… I didn’t find Bailey until about two years after I got there. I was going to take her to a shelter the next day. I found her late at night at like, two am and I have no clue what I was doing.” They both chuckled, Jughead taking a drag from his cigarette. “I took her home and I fell asleep on the couch because I wanted to keep a close eye on her, I wanted to make sure she wouldn’t get out. I woke up a few hours later and she was… one of the weirdest things I’ve ever witnessed.” 

“Oh my god, Hotdog and Scout?” He nodded, chuckling.

“Yeah. N-Never in a million years did I think I would… I would deliver puppies. I didn’t even know she was pregnant, let alone _heavily_ pregnant.” He took another drag from his cigarette. “She had six puppies. Two died shortly after they were born, the two others I took to the shelter and Scout and Hotdog were the ones I kept because I was almost certain that they wouldn’t make it, but they did.” 

She pouted, Jughead laughing when he looked at her. “You raised puppies.” 

“No, Bailey did, I just potty trained them.” She giggled, rolling her eyes playfully. “Bailey used to… she would carry them into my room and drop them on the bed next to me. When she got them both up there she’d lay down, too. I think she wanted those two to wake me up every morning.” 

She watched him take the last drag from his cigarette, Jughead pinching the top and dropping it. “Are you ever going to get another dog?” 

“Maybe, I’ve thought about it.” He glanced over at her, narrowing his eyes for a brief second before looking back at the road. “Why? You want another dog?” 

“I mean, it’d make it even.” 

“Oh, so you want to even the number of my pets, huh?” He chuckled, Betty scoffing. 

“Come on, all couples do something like this at some point.” He turned down the driveway as he laughed to himself, Betty moving to sit back on her haunches next to him when he parked the truck. “Please?” She pouted and he cupped her chin, kissing her. 

“Let me talk to them first.” She laughed, following him out of the truck.

~

Jughead woke up to a jolt beside him, Betty jumping out of the bed and slamming the bathroom door shut. He rubbed his eyes, looking at Hotdog at the foot of the bed who watched the bathroom door. Jughead stretched before he got out of bed, pulling his sweatpants on and walking over to the bathroom door, knocking.

“Betts?” It was quiet and he waited a moment before knocking on the door again. “Love, are you okay?” He was going to knock again when Betty opened the door, nerves and question on her face. “What?”

She swallowed, taking in a shaky breath. “I might be pregnant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t going to add the ending just because I thought it was a little too predictable, but I think this whole fic is predictable. Anyway, I guess in the next chapter we’re gonna see how each of them react to the news...


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead navigate life with news that changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be updated every Sunday. This is unbeated so i’m so sorry for any mistakes. All comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!!

Jughead sat on the couch, his leg bouncing. His elbows were on his knees and his hands were balled together, his chin resting on top of them. 

Betty was beside him, her knees up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them as she kept taking in long, deep shaky breaths. 

Their eyes were glued to the pregnancy test on the coffee table. She had just taken it, maybe a minute ago tops, but they were itching to find out if it was positive or negative. 

Betty’s mind was racing. She couldn’t remember ever forgetting to take her birth control, she was always on top of it. It was one of the single things she did everyday no matter what, or at least she thought. Her and Jughead were always safe like that, there was no way she could actually be pregnant. 

“How long does it take again?” His voice was still groggy from sleep but there was a nervousness laced through it. 

She swallowed, checking the time on her phone. “T-Two minutes,” she sighed, leaning forward. 

She reached for it and her hand shook as she held it. She took in a sharp breath when Jughead’s hand covered hers and she glanced over at him, fear in both of their eyes. 

He moved so he was right next to her, both of them letting out a deep breath. “I’m going to look,” she mumbled.

He nodded, watching Betty flip the test over. Her breath came out in a gasp, Jughead’s eyes squeezing closed. “Fuck.” He dropped his head into his hands, running them through his hair. 

“Jug, I-I’m… I’m so sorry, I didn’t…” he glanced over at her and she sobbed, Jughead pulling her into a tight hug. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.” 

“No, Betts, it’s not your fault. We both had a part in this.” She cried again and he pressed a kiss to her temple. “This isn’t going to change anything-”

“This is going to change everything!”

He cupped her cheeks, Betty whimpering. “Between us.” 

“Oh.” It was shaky and he brushed her hair back from her face. 

“I love you and we will figure this out.” He kissed her forehead, holding her to his chest. “We’ll figure this out, I promise.” 

~

Betty sighed as she sat down in bed that night, sinking into Jughead’s side. “I’m sorry, Jug.”

“Betts, stop apologizing. We…” he sighed, her head tilting up to look at him. “We both want… a baby so… it just came sooner than we expected.” 

“Want is so much different than can.” She sat up, swallowing thickly. “Are we even capable of having a baby right now?” 

He looked down at his hands before looking back up to her. “We’ll figure this out, Betts. We can have a baby, I-I have enough money… we can have a baby.” 

“What if I can’t do it?” He squeezed her hand, her breath coming out shakily.

“Love, you are going to be amazing. You are going to be the best mom that this baby can have, trust me.” She sighed again, laying back on his chest. “This-This is a good thing, not bad. Betty, we know enough to have a baby, you know that. We have enough money, we have enough space. We can have this baby and it can be happy, and have a good life because we can give them one.” 

She looked back up to him, her hand tilting his head down. “You know, for you not wanting to have kids about a year ago, you sure know what to say to make me feel better.” He smiled tinily and she placed a kiss under his chin. “What are people going to say? What are they going to think of us, Jug?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not their life, it’s ours. I could care less what they think. Hell, we’re engaged, it’s not like this was a one night stand gone wrong. And we’re adults, we don’t need people and their dumb opinions.” He kissed the side of her head and her hand curled into a fist on his stomach. “It can just be us, the baby, and the dogs.” 

Betty giggled and Jughead furrowed his brows. “It’s kind of ironic how yesterday we were talking about getting a puppy and now we’re having a baby.” Betty mumbled. “Well, maybe.”

“Maybe?” She sighed, nodding.

“I can miscarry, or they could have been false positives.” 

“I doubt they were false positives, Betts.” She shrugged.

“Everyone always says that so I thought I needed to, too.” He chuckled, dipping his head down to kiss her. 

~

Betty cringed and Jughead furrowed his brows. “What? I thought you liked Pop’s?” She shuddered and shook her head. 

“The smell is horrid.” She plugged her nose and he sighed. “This is, like, the fourth thing I can’t eat. I can’t eat pizza, chicken, turkey, now burgers and fries. I hate this.” He put the take out in the fridge, handing her a milkshake. “I can still have this without wanting to throw up.” She sipped it and hummed, Jughead chuckling. 

“You’re fucking adorable.” She blushed, holding the cup up to him. 

“Want some?” He laughed, sipping from the drink after placing a quick kiss to her lips. “Ooh, just so you know, I have clothes coming in the mail because even though I’m, like, not even showing yet,” she huffed, the two of them moving upstairs. “I will be in a few weeks and I will slowly start to not fit in my clothes anymore.” 

He opened the door to the balcony, sitting down in a chair and pulling Betty down into his lap. “Did you ever figure out when… it happened?” 

“If my math is correct,” she looked at him with a lopsided frown, exhaling slowly. “It was either the night we got engaged or the morning after.” 

“Oh, just wonderful. Double anniversary.” She giggled, laying back on his chest while still sipping the milkshake. “At least we’ll always remember the day our first baby was conceived.” 

“That makes it sound so weird.” They both laughed, Jughead taking another drink from the milkshake. “But, on another note, I was looking at some puppies for adoption the other day.”

“We’re still doing that?” She shrugged, giving him a small smile.

“Do you want to?” He nodded, his hand squeezing her thigh. “Well, there is a sheepdog puppy up for adoption a few miles away from Riverdale.”

He snickered, taking the milkshake from her hands. “Let me guess, you already contacted them?” 

She smiled sheepishly, nodding. “We pick her up on Monday.” He chuckled, cupping her chin and kissing her quickly.

“You got Bailey a friend?”

She nodded, moving to straddle his hips. “Well, yeah. The poor girl has been around boys basically her whole life.” 

“Oh, now that’s just cruel.” She laughed as he bit at her neck, Jughead chuckling himself.

~

“Can you tell that I’m pregnant? Are my cheeks puffy?” Betty looked up from the paperwork she was filling out to Jughead who had amusement on his face. 

“No, but I think it’s going to be pretty obvious since you just checked off pregnant on your paperwork.” She looked down at it, frowning.

“You know,” she muttered. “That’s quite mean.” 

He shook his head while holding back a chuckle, kissing her temple. She filled out the rest of the sheet, handing it to the woman at the front desk before walking back over to Jughead. 

“How often do we go to these things?” he asked with a silent question in his eyes. 

“Um, I think it's, like, twelve if everything goes the way it should—that’s including this one.” He furrowed his brows, glancing down at her in confusion. 

“Twelve? Holy shit.” She shrugged and he adjusted himself in his seat. “I swear in movies they make it seem like you get these, like, twice.” She chuckled and he smiled tinily, kissing her forehead.

“Elizabeth Cooper?” They both looked towards the nurse at the doors entryway and Betty stood, looking down at Jughead in confusion. 

“Are you coming?” 

“You want me to?” She frowned and he stood up. “I just thought that only you would want to go back.” 

“No, but I’m kicking you out when she starts asking questions.” He nodded, the nurse smiling at them.

“Follow me right this way,” the nurse said with a welcoming smile. 

They walked down a long hall, the woman opening a door and holding it back for them to step in. “Put on the gown,” she instructed. “Then we will need to run urine tests. The bathroom is at the end of the hall on the left.” She left the room with a bright smile, Jughead rocking nervously on his heels, one of his hands rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Do you want me to, uh, turn around?” 

“Jughead, do you know how many times you’ve seen me naked?” He shrugged, looking up at the ceiling as she unbuttoned her pants. “You’re acting like you’re 16, just so you know.”

“I feel 16. Are guys even _allowed_ back here?” She shook her head playfully, pulling her shirt over her head and slipping the first gown on. 

“Jug, you’re obviously allowed back here. Can you help me?” She motioned to the string at the back of her neck and he nodded, tying it for her quickly before holding up the other gown to slip it over her back. “I’ll be back.” She kissed his cheek before walking out of the room, Jughead sitting down in the chair beside the exam table. 

She came back quickly, Jughead cringing. “You act like you’ve never done this.”

“My check-ups are completely different than this.” She rolled her eyes playfully as she sat up on the exam table, fixing the gown more over her knees. “Wait, so you do this every single time?”

“Well, no. There’s a lot of tests that they have to run today, other times it will just be more like a regular check-up.” He shrugged, sitting back in the chair but jumping up straight when there was a knock on the door. “God, I’m grateful you’re not a spy.” 

“Rude, just rude.” He smiled playfully and she laughed, Jughead placing a kiss to the top of her head when the door opened.

“Do you want him to stay or would like him to step out?” The doctor smiled happily and Jughead glanced at Betty.

“I’ll go,” he whispered to himself.

He gave the doctor a tight-lipped smile, stepping out of the room. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, pacing beside the door for what felt like hours. But, within minutes, the door was opened again.

The doctor grinned, saying, “You can come back in.” 

He walked back to Betty’s side and she squeezed his hand. “So,” the doctor said, snapping on gloves. “Now we’ll do the sonogram and you’ll both be on your way.” 

Jughead watched as the doctor put gel on the doppler, Betty’s hand tightening on his as goosebumps rose on her arms after the doctor's hand went under the sheet over her legs. 

“Sorry,” the doctor winced. “I forgot to mention that it’s cold.” 

Betty giggled, Jughead kissing the back of her knuckles. “Is that your thing?” she asked it in a hushed whisper and he winked at her, doing it again. 

“Okay, so, let's have a look, shall we?” Betty and Jughead watched the monitor closely at the doctor's question. “So, based on what I can see and the information you have given me, your due date is probably about April 20th. You’re obviously having one baby,” she chuckled to herself, turning the monitor towards Betty and Jughead. “Here you can see the outline of the head and over here are the legs and feet. It looks like it has their hands crossed on their stomach.”

Betty glanced over at Jughead with a playful look on his face and he chuckled. “What?” he mumbled. She shook her head teasingly, turning back to the monitor. 

The doctor pressed buttons on the machine and gave them a smile before turning to Betty. “Are you ready to hear the heartbeat?” Betty nodded, her hand squeezing Jughead’s in anticipation. He sat forward in his seat, him and Betty both waiting with bated breath as she moved the doppler again. “Okay, here it is.” She pressed a button and the noise echoed around the room, Betty letting out a breathy laugh. 

“Oh my god,” Jughead whispered the word into the back of her hand, Betty looking down at him with a bright smile. 

“You have a very healthy baby, Elizabeth.” She gave her a bright smile, the sound cutting out. “We will see you back here in four weeks. You can schedule your next appointment at the front desk.” She gave them each a smile and a wave, leaving the room. 

“We’re going to have a baby,” Betty squealed quietly. 

Jughead kissed Betty as she smiled, placing another one to her forehead. “We’re gonna have a baby,” he repeated. 

~

Betty blinked awake, hitching her leg higher over Jughead’s hips. He groaned, his hand squeezing the underside of her thigh before he rubbed his eyes. 

“Good morning,” he grumbled, placing a kiss to Betty’s lips. He moved down to pull her shirt up and pressed one to her stomach as well. “Good morning to you, too.” 

Betty smiled tiredly, pushing hair off of his face when he came back up and laid back down next to her. “Did you sleep okay?” he asked softly. 

She nodded, laying her head on his chest and wrapping her arm around his waist. “I want to pick out paint colors today.” 

“You’re already planning her nursery? We don’t even have a name yet, Betts.” She shrugged, tilting her head back. “What colors were you thinking?” 

“I was thinking like a light grey for the walls then we put up sheer white curtains and add little pink blankets for a pop of color. I have a picture of what I want to do.” He laughed and she frowned up at him. “What?” 

“Nothing, we can do that.” She narrowed her eyes and he kissed her until she wilted into the sheets, pressing herself against him with a moan. 

“Jug, please. I need you,” she whined. 

Her hands threaded through his hair as he bit at her neck, his hips rolling into hers. “Please, Juggie.” He looked up at her, Betty’s hand slipping inside of his boxers and wrapping her hand around him. He moaned as she pumped him slowly, his head falling to her shoulder when her thumb brushed over the tip. “Come on. Please, Jug.” 

She pumped him again and his hips bucked. “Fuck, Betts,” hd moaned again, his hand pushing her panties down quickly. 

She shoved his boxers down next and he took little to no time to thrust into her quickly, her head pushing back into the bed. “Jesus christ,” he grunted. 

He tugged her shirt off, sucking a nipple into her mouth. “Oh god!” she called out. 

He worked her until they both crashed over the edge, Jughead falling to her side after they were both spent. She laid panting beside him, his own chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. 

“See?” she panted. “Your fears were nothing.” 

He chuckled, throwing his arm over his forehead as he smiled over at her. “I feel like I just scarred her for life.”

Betty rolled towards him, careful not to jostle her legs. “I promise you, you didn’t. But I need a nap now.” He chuckled again and kissed the side of her head, putting on his pants and motioning for her to sit down. “What are you doing?” He winked, walking into the bathroom and wetting a warm rag, walking back to her with a towel also in hand. “Jug, no.” 

“Hey, let me take care of you. You are carrying our baby, you know.” 

She blushed as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, hiding her face as he cleaned her. He kissed her cheek tenderly again when he had finished, putting the rag and towel in the hamper before helping her put her t-shirt back on. He moved around to the other side of the bed, lying behind her and wrapping his arm over her stomach. “Let's just spend the day in bed.” 

Betty hummed, rolling and laying her head on his chest. “I like that idea very much.” 

~

“I… where the hell does this thing go?” Jughead picked up the screw, flashing it to Betty. 

She moved from the chair to the ground, Jughead helping her do so. “I have no clue but you’re doing great!” She pulled his face to hers, pressing a kiss to his cheek and he smiled. She pulled back, her hand on her stomach before her eyes widened.

“What? Is everything okay?” She pressed a hand to her stomach again before she grabbed his, pressing it on the same spot, his own eyes widening. “Woah, is that…” 

“She’s kicking.” He laughed a little and she smiled proudly. “It's kind of uncomfortable but it means she’s okay, she’s-she’s healthy and her legs are working so that’s a really good sign, right?” 

“Yes, yes! This is amazing!” She sighed happily and he laughed, Betty hissing. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, she just really reacts to your laugh.” He smirked arrogantly and pulled his hand away, Betty pushing his shoulder. “Stop smirking. Just because she’s already a daddy’s girl does not give you the right to flaunt it.”

“Oh, but it totally does.” She rolled her eyes playfully and he pressed a light kiss to her lips. “Okay, I gotta figure out this crib.” 

“You can do it!” He gave her an incredulous but amusement filled look and she just laughed. “I’m going to go make cookies for when you finish. Or for when you don’t finish.” 

“Hey, I got this. I’m-I’m a handyman at heart. I could do this in my sleep.” She looked from the crib to him, a smile on her face. 

“Hate to burst your bubble but you put the side on upside down.” He frowned at it, huffing. “Help me up, please.” 

He stood and took her hand, pulling her up off the floor. “I’m not ever sitting there again,” she scoffed, one of her hands going to her lower back. “Okay, I’m going to make cookies now, love you!” 

He watched her walk away, sitting back down on the floor with a sigh as he looked at the instructions again. “Okay, so…” 

~

Jughead hurried down the stairs, Betty furrowing her brows as she put her cookies on a cooling rack. “Come look! I actually did it!” he cheered. 

She turned, frowning a little. “Can it wait a few minutes?” He frowned and she huffed. “I have to pee.” 

“I built her bed and she does this? That _is not_ a daddy’s girl, that’s a traitor.” Betty whined, her hand on her stomach. “What?”

“Stop talking, she likes you and it’s pressing on my bladder.” She walked into the bathroom, Jughead nodding. 

He walked back to the nursery, picking up the leftover screws that were on the floor and sighing at the other boxes that were left. He still had at least ten weeks until Betty absolutely needed the furniture up out of fear, so really, he could take a break for the night. 

She came walking in, clapping her hands. “It looks perfect!” she exclaimed. “Thank you! Thank you!” She hugged him, kissing him quickly. “Oh, and now's probably a good time to tell you that my dad, my sister, Jason, the twins and their baby are coming for Christmas.” His eyes widened and she smiled. “I love you so much!” She kissed the corner of his mouth before walking away, Jughead standing flabbergasted in the room. 

After a minute he followed her path out of the room, walking downstairs and into the kitchen. “You did not just think you could say what you just said and walk away.” She bit her lip and sat down at the table, Jughead sitting across from her. “Betts, we don’t have a tree, ornaments, decorations. We don’t have anything.” 

“That’s why we can go get it tomorrow, right? We can get it all up before they get here on Christmas Eve.” Her eyes were hopeful and he sighed. 

“I don’t want you to overwork yourself. And don’t you have that article you need to get done? Can you do that with kids running around?” She frowned, looking down at her hands on the tabletop. She sniffled, starting to cry quietly and his eyes widened. “No, no, no. Don’t cry! Don’t cry! We can do it! They can come!” 

She looked up at him tearfully, sniffling again. “Really?”

“Yes, I promise.” She smiled and wiped her face, standing up happily. “That’s so cynical.” 

“I’m going to miss it so much when we have her.” He chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully as he ate a cookie.

~

“I’ve never done this before.” Jughead wrapped the lights around the tree, Betty furrowing her brows at the bottom of the ladder. 

“Christmas?” she asked. He glanced down at her, nodding. “What about last year? That counts.” 

“No, that’s not what I mean,” he sighed. She frowned and he wrapped the last part of the lights around the tree, climbing down the ladder. “What I mean is that I’ve never done _this_. The tree, the decorations, the gifts, the family. Growing up it was just another day for my parents to ridicule me.” 

“Well… do you like it? Like this?” He nodded with a small smile, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” he chuckled. 

She smiled happily, Jughead’s look mirroring hers. “Now,” he started. “If you’re going to hang stuff and all that, make sure it’s low enough to the ground you don’t need a ladder and if you do need one, you wait for me to get home so I can do it. I don’t want you slipping and getting hurt.” 

“I don’t even use ladders when I’m not pregnant. They’re not safe, like, _at all.” She followed him to the door as she talked and he chuckled, shaking his head._

_“So you prefer levitating, yes?” She frowned and shoved his shoulder. He laughed and kissed her soundly. “I’m going to go pick up the dogs from the groomers, I’ll be back in thirty minutes—forty tops.” He grabbed his keys and slipped on his coat, kissing her again. “Love you.”_

_He walked out the door, Betty standing there as he walked away. “Love you, too. Be safe!” He gave her a thumbs up as he got in the truck and she sighed, closing the door with a shiver._

_~_

_Betty heard the door open, Bailey, Scout, Hotdog and Luna running through the house. “I look crazy driving with four dogs,” Jughead huffed as he stepped into the house himself. “I’m running out of room in my truck for them.”_

_Betty looked over her shoulder at Jughead with a grin, shaking her head playfully. “You’re doing a great job with the bottom of the tree.” She laughed and he placed a kiss to her neck, his hands wrapping around her stomach._

_She sighed and let her head fall to the side, Jughead nipping at the skin he found there. “Jug, I want to finish this.”_

_“We will.” It was husky and gruff and he turned her, cupping her cheeks and kissing her roughly._

_“No, no, no. We can do that tonight. Right now I want to do this.” He pulled back, brushing the wispy hairs that had fallen from her ponytail away from her face. “Plus, I don’t really feel like doing anything on the couch because it makes my back hurt.”_

_He nodded, kissing her again but quickly. “What do you need me to do?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so so so sorry for not posting yesterday!!! I was super busy and got caught up in life and ran out of time to edit this part so it could be posted. Thank you so much for understanding and I am going to try my hardest to stay on schedule for now on!!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this part!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead spend Christmas with Betty’s family and shortly after, welcome their daughter into the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end!!! Thank you to everyone who has read this fic!!!

Betty laughed at Jughead’s furrowed brows, pulling his head down and kissing him. “She does that all night?” 

“Pretty much,” Betty laughed. He shook his head, the two of them stilling when the baby kicked again. “But, on another note, everyone’s going to be here today and I still haven’t told them I’m pregnant… or engaged.” 

“You still haven’t said anything?” he questioned with furrowed brows. She shook her head, eating the piece of toast Jughead had brought up for her. “You’ve told Kevin, right?”

She nodded, swallowing. “Yeah, but that’s it. I never got around to telling my family.” 

“So we’re going to have a house full of excited people for a good day?” She nodded with a smile, Jughead chuckling and pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

~

“Are they here yet?” Betty looked out the window, chewing her lip. “What if they all leave because they disown me?”

“Betts, they’re not going to disown you. Stop stressing yourself out, it’s not good for either of you.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she sunk into him as much as she could. “They’re going to be happy, I know they will.” She smiled up at him and he placed a faint kiss on her lips, a knock on the door pulling them apart. 

“Well, here goes nothing,” she breathed. She smoothed a hand over her stomach, letting out a deep breath. Just as they got to the door she turned to Jughead, panic on her face. “Jug, I can’t do this! What-What if they hate me? I don’t want to know if they do or not!” 

He squeezed her shoulders, her hands reaching up and holding his wrists. “Betts, they love you and just because we’re having a baby will not change that. If it does, screw them. It’s your life, not theirs.” 

She sighed, nodding. “Okay, okay.” There was another knock on the door and she took in a deep breath, twisting the knob slowly. 

“Betty—oh my god!” Jughead’s hand squeezed Betty’s behind her back as Polly squealed, letting go when Polly pulled Betty into a tight hug. “Since when?! You didn’t tell me?!” Betty just shrugged, Polly letting go of her, her eyes looking down at her hand. “ _And_ you two are engaged? Betty!” 

“I was going to tell you, really, we just got… caught up.” Polly pulled her into another hug, Jason and the three kids walking up onto the porch. 

She stepped back and Jason’s eyes widened. “Wow. Congrats.” Betty stayed back talking with Polly while Jason and Jughead went to empty the gifts in the car. 

~

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.” Betty shrugged as she watched her sister, sighing. “You didn’t even tell dad and you talk to him every Saturday.” 

“Yeah, it’s been under my nose for six months.” Betty laughed lightly at her dad's words, shaking her head. “I’m happy for you two—with the engagement and the pregnancy. It’s always nice to have more grandchildren.” 

“Jug,” Betty whispered as she tilted her head back and he glanced down at her. “I’m tired.” He nodded, standing up. “We’re going to go to bed,” she sighed. “We’ll see you all in the morning.” Jughead helped her up, standing himself. 

“You can have whatever you want in the kitchen.” He gave them all a tight lipped smile, following Betty’s trail upstairs. “Are you okay?” He closed the bedroom door, locking it as Betty sighed. 

“I want to take a bath. Can we take a bath?” He nodded, moving to the bathroom. “I’m tired of answering their questions and hearing ‘why didn’t you tell us’, why didn’t you do this, why didn’t you do that, you know. It gives me a headache.” 

“But other than that, you’re okay?” She nodded and sat down on the edge of the bath, Jughead turning it on. “Too hot?” 

“No, that’s perfect.” It was his turn to nod and he sat next to her, Betty resting her head on his shoulder. “We’re not doing this next year. We can go to their houses, they’re not coming back here.” 

“Are you sure you want a bath? We can just go to sleep, Betts.” She huffed, tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.” 

“I’m just… I was so happy about this and now I’m too exhausted to do anything.” He pulled her into his side, Betty sniffling as she cried. “I wanted a Christmas with my family but I can’t enjoy it because they're being annoying! I answered the same question, like, twenty times!” 

“Hey, Betts, you’re okay.” He turned the water off, pulling out the drain. 

“I’m a mess, Jug. I just went from crying to yelling to crying again.” He kissed the side of her head and she wiped her eyes and cheeks. “Do you think they’ll stop asking tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, I’m sure they will.” He stood up and held out his hand, Betty taking it to stand. “Now, let’s go to bed so you’re rested for the morning, okay?” She nodded, walking with him into their bedroom. 

~

Betty stretched when she woke up, smiling to herself when she felt Jughead press a kiss to her shoulder, her hand threading through his hair. “Merry Christmas,” he mumbled. His voice was rough from sleep and she sighed, rolling on her back to look up at him. 

“Merry Christmas to you, too.” He leaned down and kissed her, tilting her head to deepen it after a moment. His mouth moved over her jaw and down her neck, sucking a bruise into her collarbone. “Can we skip all of the formalities and just go straight into the sex?” 

He laughed, picking his head up to look at her. “Needy, are we?” 

“Very and I’m not wasting my time.” She shoved him back on the bed and he smirked, pushing his pants down before he helped Betty discard her underwear. 

She sank down on him a second later, his head pushing back into the bed. “Fuck,” he mumbled as he watched her body take him, his eyes squeezing shut at the image. He held her hips in a bruising grip as she moved, thrusting his hips up in time with her movements. 

They reached the edge quickly, her nails digging into his shoulders as she choked on a moan. She fell down on top of him with a satisfied sigh, his arm wrapping around her shoulders while he tucked the other behind his head. “That was… god, Betts.” 

She laughed a little, the two of them kissing slightly as he slipped out of her. “Was I too much?”

“God, no. You could never be too much, love.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, Betty snuggling in on his chest. “But in all seriousness, Merry Christmas, Betts.” 

She tilted her head back, furrowing her brows. “What are you hiding?” He sat up, grabbing his pants and pulling them on before getting out of bed. “Jug, what are you doing?” 

He walked over to the closet, pulling a large box wrapped in Christmas paper from the top shelf. “I was going to wait until tonight to give you this but… here.” He passed it off to her when she sat up and she furrowed her brows, looking at him questionably. “Open it.” 

He sat down next to her and raised her eyebrow. “What is it?” 

“Betts, just open it.” She watched him for one more second before she delicately ripped the paper, her breath coming out in a gasp as she reached up to cover her mouth, tears in her eyes. “Well?” 

“Jug, you…” She traced her hand over the letter that spelled out Harper Lynn, looking at him tearfully. “I thought you hated that name.”

“No, Betts. I just wanted to act like I hated it so you would stop talking about it long enough for me to get this done.” She threw her arms around him, crying a little into his neck. 

“I love you so much.” He smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek before leaning back and wiping her face. “It’s beautiful, thank you.” He kissed her quickly and she looked back at the sign. “Who made it?”

“Some guy Archie and I went to school with. His work is amazing so I called him and told him about you and I. He didn’t take much convincing to get him to do this for me, he wouldn’t even take his normal payment prices, he only made me pay half but I left the other half on his counter before I left—with a tip, too, because it’s just… I didn’t expect it to come out this good.” She laid her head on his shoulder, wiping at her eye. “I knew it’d be good but god. This, this is amazing.” 

“It’s perfect.” She smiled up at him, kissing him quickly again. “And now she has a name.”

He chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, now she has a name.” 

They laid in bed for a little more time before Betty had gone off into the bathroom, Jughead walking downstairs to the kitchen. She had joined him a few minutes later, finding the pancake mix as Jughead looked for his cigarettes. 

“I’ll be back.” He kissed her cheek, pulling on a sweatshirt before he walked outside to the porch. He came back in a few minutes later, stepping back when Juniper and Dagwood came running by. 

He finished walking into the kitchen, going back to Betty’s side. “Did you catch the stampede?” she teased. He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “Can you put these on plates for them? I have to use the bathroom.” He nodded, taking over what Betty was doing.

He plated the food and handed them to the twins, giving them small smiles afterwards. “Thank you for doing that.” 

He turned to Polly, holding his hands up by his head. “Not me, all Betty. I’m a terrible cook.” Jughead turned when Betty walked into the kitchen, her arm linking through his.

“I heard my name. Are you talking bad about me?” 

“Never.” He kissed her forehead and she smiled, tugging on his arm lightly. He followed her into the living room where she draped her arms over his shoulders, her hands twisting the hair at the nape of his neck. “What’s this about?” 

“I don’t know. I just kind of miss our empty house because before we know it, it’s not going to just be us.” He smiled, pressing a kiss to her lips. She pulled back and rested her head on his chest, sighing. “I’m ready for her to come though. I’m tired of waiting.” 

“Ah, lets not jinx it. Let’s keep her in there as long as we can so she’s okay.” 

“Well, yeah, I know that.” He moved over to the couch, pulling her down into his lap. “I… I’m kind of jealous of Pol right now, you know? I mean, she got pregnant way before me and we weren’t even planning on having a baby but I just want to hold her already and kiss her. She hasn’t even been born yet and I already love her.” 

“That’s just a maternal instinct. I already love her, too. I don’t know how people can’t love their children, it shocks me.” She laid down on his chest, his arm wrapping around her. “I’m ready to hold her and love her, too. And now she has a name so it’s not just her all the time. It can be Harper now.”

She smiled, kissing him quickly. “I’m glad you liked that name because I don’t think I have the energy to think of anymore.” He chuckled, rubbing her back. “It’s not fair, she already likes you more than me.” His hand pressed to her stomach and he laughed when he felt Harper’s light kicks. 

“No, she loves you, I promise.” He kissed her again, a throat being cleared behind them. They turned their heads and Jughead rubbed the back of his neck, Betty straightening. 

Hal held his hands up in a surrender, hissing through his teeth a little. “Don’t worry, I won’t spoil her name to anyone and I can go if you two want.” 

“No,” Betty huffed, adjusting in Jughead’s lap. “It’s Christmas and the twins will be done with breakfast any moment. Come sit before everyone takes up a spot.” He sat down in a chair across from them, the twins running in. “What’d I say?” Jughead chuckled, kissing her cheek. 

“That’s going to be us one day, you know?” Betty furrowed her brows as she looked at him. “Kids eating pancakes then running around the house trying to break peoples ankles, and playing with the dogs. This will be our life sooner than we think.” 

She smiled, biting her lip. “I like that idea—you like the idea too, right?” 

“Of course I do, that’s why I mentioned it.” 

“I’m a little slow, it's my pregnancy brain.” He chuckled, Betty pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Can we take a nap later?” 

“Yes, Betts.” He rubbed her back, her head lying down on his chest. “We can take a nap later.” 

~

“Jughead! Jughead!” The twins came running into the living room, Betty whining. Jughead rubbed her head that was in his lap and she sighed, the two on them blinking at the twins. 

“Do you want to come play outside with us? In the snow?” Juniper was bouncing on her feet as Dagwood talked excitedly. 

Jughead looked down at Betty and she glanced up at him, a smile playing on her lips. “You want to?” She nodded happily, sitting up slowly. “We’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Okay!” They skipped away happily and he helped her up off the couch. 

“If you get cold,” Jughead started as he helped Betty off the couch. “Go inside, okay?” They walked into the mud room, each of them putting on their coats. 

“I solemnly swear I will go inside when I start to feel cold.” He nodded, kissing her forehead. “You know, the twins have never seen snow before, let alone played in it. This is their first time ever.” 

“Really? They haven’t gone to New York to see your mom?” Betty shook her head, taking the gloves Jughead handed to her. “Why not?” 

“We just don’t go see our mom, she’s too much to handle sometimes. We only go maybe once or twice a year. I mean, we talk occasionally but not often. It’s just a weird relationship there.” 

He nodded, opening the door. “That’s understandable.” Juniper threw a snowball at Jughead and he gasped, Betty laughing. “Oh, it’s on.” 

She watched them all play until they were shivering, Polly calling them to come into the house. Jughead had picked up Betty as best as he could when his coat was off, her hands cupping his cheeks. “Let’s go make a fire,” he whispered, placing a kiss to her neck. She blushed slightly while hiding her smile, nodding. “I’ll go get it ready, you tell them we’re going to… we want to be alone, okay?” 

“Mm, giving me orders now?” she teased lightly. He chuckled, kissing her before dropping her to the ground. “Also, you’re freezing.” 

“That’s why you’re going to warm me up,” he chuckled. She giggled, brushing his hair back. 

“You’re a dork but please hurry.” She kissed the corner of his mouth before walking into the kitchen, Jughead walking upstairs. 

~

The rest of the weekend went by quickly and before they knew it, it was the middle of January. 

Jughead walked into the kitchen, Betty stretching her back as best she could. “Are you okay?” he asked softly. She shook her head and sighed when he started to rub her shoulders. 

“Wait, do my lower back.” she instructed. His hands moved and she moaned, gripping the counter. “My back is killing me.”

“Why don’t you lay down, Betts.” She shook her head again, sighing as he continued to rub her back.

“I can’t get comfortable when I lay down and I can’t take in a deep breath either. Her head is, like, right here,” He looked around to her stomach as she pressed on the bottom of it. “So her feet are basically in my rib cage.” She groaned and he brushed hair off of her forehead. “It’s really hot in here,” she sighed. 

“You want me to turn the heat off?” 

“Please?” He nodded, kissing the side of her head. “Ooh, Jug, wait.” She huffed as she followed him around the house, catching up to him at the thermostat. “God, don’t walk so fast. Can you finish her room today, please? I can help.” 

“Everything we have to do is just decorations and you have to do that organization thing for the dresser and… what’s that thing called? The one that holds her diapers or something.” He waved his hand around blatantly and she furrowed her brows. 

“Diaper changing table?” 

He snapped his fingers, nodding. “Yes, that thing. That’s all we have left to do.” 

“Well, then help me. Actually, I don’t feel like doing it.” Jughead chuckled, moving to follow Betty into the kitchen but freezing when there was a knock on the door. “Who’s that?” 

He shrugged, walking out of the doorway to the front door. He pulled it open, hurrying back when an older blonde woman barged through. “Elizabeth?!”

Betty’s head popped out from the kitchen, her eyes wide. “Mom…” 

~

Jughead’s eyes widened as the two women bickered, keeping his eyes down on his lap, afraid to get yelled at himself. 

“Engaged _and_ pregnant?! We don’t do this, Elizabeth!” Betty rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “We get married before we even think about children, let alone…” 

“Sex, just say it. God, we’re all adults here! And it’s not like I don’t know Jughead, I love him and he loves me! We’re not getting married because of the baby, we’re getting married because we love each other—unlike what you and dad did.” Jughead rubbed the back of his neck as he sat on the couch, not allowed to leave the room. 

“You’re pregnant and you didn’t think to tell me?” Betty rolled her eyes again, sitting down on the couch next to Jughead and rubbing her temples. “I’m your mother, Elizabeth-”

“Can’t you ever just call me Betty?” Her eyes were squeezed closed, obviously trying to fight away a headache. 

“That’s not what I named you, so no. Your name is Elizabeth, not Betty.” Betty sighed, Jughead standing. “Sit back down.”

“Don’t tell him what to do!” Alice’s eyes went to Betty, who clenched her jaw, fear in her eyes. 

“Are you okay?” Her hand squeezed Jughead’s when he reached for her and she whimpered. “Betts.” She let out a deep breath, resting her hand on her stomach. “Are you okay?” 

She nodded, taking in deep breaths. “Get her out of here.” 

“What?”

Betty’s eyes found Jughead‘s, a new coldness in them. “Get her out of our house.”

“Elizabeth, I’m your mom.” Jughead stepped between Alice and Betty, Alice straightening her jacket. “You have no right to keep me from my daughter, especially not if she’s in pain.” 

“Please leave so I don’t have to call the cops.” Alice’s eyes narrowed at Jughead and he sighed. “Please, it’s the last thing I want to do.” Alice stuck her nose in the air, walking out of the house sassily and slamming the door behind her. Jughead waited until he heard her car start to turn to Betty. “What happened? Why… are you okay?” 

She nodded, resting her head on Jughead’s shoulder when he sat next to her. “I lied, Jug. I don’t… I don’t talk to my mom, like, ever. She’s unbearable, I can’t handle her. She just… you saw what she did to me, how she made me feel. I can’t deal with her, so if she comes back, you don’t let her in, okay?” 

He looked over at her, nodding. “Okay, I promise I won’t.”

~

Betty tossed and turned in the bed, falling on her back and huffing. She looked over at Jughead and glared, shoving his shoulder. He whined and pushed her hand away, rolling onto his other side. She frowned, pushing his shoulder again. 

“Betty, no,” he whined, falling back asleep in seconds. She frowned again, sitting up and crossing her arms over her chest. 

She turned on her bedside lamp, glaring when Jughead shoved a pillow over his head. “Were we stupid for not taking a birthing class? I mean, I had Polly tell me how I needed to breathe and I know how to do it so I’ll be okay. Plus, I feel like I would forget _everything_ they teach you in those classes as soon as I go into labor anyway. It all seemed so unnecessary…”

She continued to ramble and Jughead sat up with a yawn, rubbing his eyes. “I’m up,” he groaned. 

“Good, now come.” She grabbed his hand and he groaned again as she dragged him down the hall to Harper’s bedroom. “We needed to finish her room, like, yesterday.” 

“Oh, Betts, no.” He whined, laying down on the floor. “It’s 3am, can we please go back to sleep?” 

“I’ve slept thirty minutes all night. Suck it up and help me, please.” He blinked up at her and she gave him a small smile. “See, I would come kiss you or something to convince you, but if I get down on the floor, I’m not coming back up.” 

Jughead chuckled, shaking his head as he stood up. “What do you need me to do?” 

~

Jughead walked inside the house with the dogs, locking the door behind him and furrowing his brows at Betty scrubbing the kitchen counters. “Okay, last time you did this we had a big fight.”

“No, this is… nesting, or at least that’s what Polloy said when I called her.” He walked past her and pulled a water bottle from the fridge. “And don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe for me to be using these cleaning products, I talked to my doctor today. I talked to a lot of people today. I talked to my dad, Polly, Juniper, Dagwood, Kevin. You know, basically everybody that I know… why are you laughing?” 

“I’m not, I swear!” She narrowed her eyes and he let out a laugh. “I’m sorry, you’re rambling and it’s adorable.” He cupped her chin, kissing her deeply. 

She pulled back, smiling excitedly. “Ooh! She was the size of a pumpkin this week.”

“Did you Google that?” She shook her head, forgetting about what she was doing. 

“My doctor told me. I told you I talked to her today.” He nodded, kissing her again. “And I saw the look you gave me when I said was and I said was because I’ll be forty weeks tomorrow.” 

“You pay attention to too many things.” She narrowed her eyes playfully, kissing him one last time. “The car seats installed by the way and your bag and her bag is in the back of your car. So whenever she’s ready, we’re ready.”

“I want her to be ready now, but she can stay I guess, even if she does kick me from time to time and the braxton hicks suck.” She sighed, rubbing her stomach. “Are we absolutely certain we’re ready for her?”

“Yes, Betts, there’s nothing we have left to do. Everything’s ready, I promise.” She nodded and he kissed her forehead. 

~

“Okay, I’m done with this.” Jughead glanced from his book to Betty who huffed, sitting up. “I want her out now.” 

“I physically have no clue how I can help with that.” She plucked the book from his hands, placing it on his nightstand before straddling his hips. 

“We are going to induce my labor because I’m tired of carrying her like this. But my belly’s in the way so I am going to turn around and turn off the lights. Please make sure I don’t fall off the bed.” 

He chuckled, pushing her stray hairs back. “Betts, I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“You’re not going to hu—ah, oh my god!” His eyes widened as Betty squeezed hers shut, her left hand squeezing his shoulder while her other pressed to her stomach. 

“Woah, okay, what’s happening?” He sat up and she slid down his thighs, breathing heavily. “Love, are you okay? Should I call the doctor?” 

“I don’t know. I think… I think that was a contraction.” She let out a deep breath, moving off of his lap. 

He looked around in panic as she pulled the blankets over her legs, laying back on her pillow. “What are we supposed to do?” 

“We sleep.” He gave her a shocked look and she squeezed his hand reassuringly. “They’re not bad and-and we still have eight to twelve hours of this so I would like to be able to be somewhat rested when I’m going into _actual_ labor.” 

“Aren’t you in labor now?” She nodded, motioning for him to lay down. “Shouldn’t we do something?” 

“Jug, it’s early labor. This is nothing compared to active or-or the transition phase. It gets worse but right now while it’s better, I would like to use that as an advantage. So please, let's sleep.” He nodded reluctantly, Betty rolling and Jughead’s arm wrapping around her protectively. 

~

Betty sat up with a start, groaning in pain. Jughead sat up next to her, her hand gripping his. She breathed through the contraction, sighing when it was over. “Okay,” she sighed. “I think we should probably call the doctor soon.”

“Well, how soon?” 

“We wait an hour and if the contractions come between four and five minutes in that time, we call. If they don’t and I’m fine, we-we don’t call.” He nodded, Betty pulling the blankets back. “Um… never mind, my water broke. C-Call.” 

“What? Right now?” She nodded, whimpering as she started to breathe heavily. “What do I say?” 

She waved her hand, letting out a deep breath. “You tell her that my water broke and that my contractions are… are f-four minutes apart and they are strong.” 

“Just that?” She nodded, standing up out of the bed and pacing. He got out of bed himself, rubbing the back of his neck as he dialed the doctors phone number nervously, clearing his throat when she picked up. “Hi, I’m so sorry to bother you b-but um… Betty’s… her water broke.” He nodded, looking at her questionably as the doctor talked. 

“If she is asking about contractions they’re-” She moaned, whimpering as she held the window sill.

“She’s having one right now.” He walked over to her and she gripped his arm, whimpering again. “Betts, how long is it lasting?” She breathed deeply, panting slightly as she changed her clothes.

“A-About a minute.” He nodded, repeating the words to the doctor. He nodded as he listened to her, Betty furrowing her brows when he ended the call. “What-What’d she say?”

“She said that we should probably go because she said you were at…” 

“Two centimeters.” He nodded, walking over and getting each of them sweatshirts from the closet. 

“Yes, um, at your last visit and that there’s a possibility that you could be at four, though it may be slim but she doesn’t want to chance it since your water broke.” She gave him a nod, gripping his arm as another contraction rolled through her. She waved her arm and he raised his brow. “What?” 

She let out a huff, straightening. “I was trying to tell you to talk because it kind of helps keep my mind off of it but I can’t t-talk because it’s uncomfortable, you know? Well, I mean, you don’t, but still.” He helped her into a jacket, holding her hand as he helped her down the stairs. “I wish I could skip all of this and just hold her. I don’t… this is horrible and it’s only early labor.” 

“How is there multiple types of labor?” She shrugged, grabbing the railing of the porch as Jughead locked the front door. He turned the keys in his hand, walking over to Betty just as she straightened up again. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can call an ambulance and they can make the trip a lot faster.” 

“Jug, I love you, and I love that you’re looking out for me, but I don’t want a swarm of paramedics around me, okay? It’s a fifteen minute drive to the hospital, I can make it.” He nodded, taking her hand and helping her to the car. 

~

Betty leaned against the bed and rocked back slightly on her feet. Jughead rubbed her lower back as she took in deep breaths and brushed the hair off the back of her neck. “Just breathe, Betts. You got this.” She whimpered and he helped her stand up straight. “Are you sure you don’t want that thing they talked to you about?”

She shook her head, threading her fingers through his. “No, I don’t need it, I don’t want it.” He nodded silently, still rubbing circles over her back. 

He felt terrible for the pain she was feeling and it wasn’t even the worst of it all. There were still hours to go and there was more pain that she had to go through. 

When they had gotten to the hospital they were placed in a room in no time, Betty getting hooked up to what felt like too many monitors. Jughead had tried to stay back, giving her space to do what she wanted, but she always came back to him, leaning into his arms as a contraction would push through her. 

He helped as much as he could, but he could only do so much, that’s what a nurse had told him and Betty had thoroughly glared at her even after he said leave it be. She had become protective over him when they arrived at the hospital and part of him was shocked by it, the other part filled with amusement from it.

As Betty breathed through another contraction, the room's door opened, an excited Kevin walking through. “I came at a bad time,” he stated after a moment. Jughead gave him a smile, Betty huffing when she was done. “You are glowing.”

“Oh, no don’t say that.” Jughead shook his head frantically and Betty’s face went from calm to seething in seconds. 

“Do you know why I’m glowing? I have something this big,” she made a large circle with her hands, holding it up. “Trying to come out of a hole this big!” She made a small circle with her hands and Jughead made it smaller, her eyes wide when she looked up at him. He shrugged, Betty huffing. “That’s why I’m glowing!” 

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Kevin whispered. Jughead shook his head, helping Betty up on the bed. “Why don’t you get one of those balls? I’ve heard people say they help.”

“I’m not bouncing her—ah!” She dug her nails into both of Jughead’s arms and he sucked in a sharp breath. 

“I’m going to come back when she’s born. This… I am too queasy for this.” Kevin dropped a kiss to Betty’s head, waving. “Good luck!” He left the room and Betty groaned. 

~

Betty sobbed as her head fell back onto Jughead’s shoulders, his hand brushing sweat slicked hair from her face. “You’re doing great, Betts.” She nodded, breathing through her next contraction and moving right into her next one. 

She shivered and he rubbed his hands over her arms, holding her to his chest. “Wh-Where’s the-” She cut herself off with a whimper, squeezing Jughead’s hand tightly. 

“The doctor?” She nodded quickly, the door opening just then. 

“How are we doing here?” Betty gave a painful chuckle, breathing through another contraction. “I’m just going to check and see how dilated you are, okay?” She nodded, panting as another contraction ripped through her. “And you are crowning.”

Betty’s eyes went wide and she looked up to Jughead frantically. “Hey, you’re going to be okay, I’m right here. You can do this.” 

Betty moved and watched the doctors move in a hurry around her, moving an incubator in and propping her feet up. The sound of Jughead asking questions to the doctor was almost numb until he adjusted her up, her hands gripping his tightly. 

“Jug, I can’t… I can’t do this.” She looked up in panic at him and he shook his head. “I-I can’t.” 

“No, Betts, you _can_. I promise you, you can do this. Just listen to your doctor, okay?” She nodded, breathing through another contraction and turning to the doctor. 

“Okay, Betty, on your next contraction I need you to push, understand?” She nodded again, looking up to Jughead who pressed a kiss to her forehead, whispering his encouragement to her. 

In minutes she was spent, shaking her head as they tried to get her to push again. “Jug, I can’t i-it hurts and I’m tired.” Her head fell to his chest with a sob and he squeezed her hands. 

“Betts, I know you can do this. You have done so much and now you’re bringing our daughter into this world. You can do it, I know you can.” He kissed her temple and she picked up her head. “Come on, don’t give up.” 

“Okay, we need one last big push,” the doctor explained. 

Betty squeezed Jughead’s hands as she screamed, falling back into him with another sob when Harper’s own cry filled the room over hers. The doctors looked to Jughead and he got out from behind Betty, taking the scissors they handed to him before he cut the umbilical cord. 

“Jug,” he looked to Betty as they carried Harper away, tears in his eyes. “Is she okay? Does she look okay?” 

He leaned down, squeezing her hand and placing a quick kiss to her lips. “She’s perfect.” Betty laughed tearfully and he kissed her quickly again, resting his forehead on hers when they pulled apart. 

~

Betty smiled down at her daughter, watching her eyes look around the room. She sighed as Jughead placed a kiss to her temple, leaning her head into his. “We did this.” She whispered the words, Harper’s hand wrapping around Jughead’s finger. 

“No, you did. She’s all you, I just got the process moving along.” She looked over at him and giggled, pressing a kiss to his lips. “You did an amazing job, Betts. Look at her, she’s perfect.”

“I’ve always hated the word perfect but it really does suit her.” They both smiled, cooing to her quietly in hushed whispers. 

“She has your eyes,” Jughead whispered after a few moments of silence.

“You think so?” He nodded and she turned back to look down at her. “God, waiting almost ten months for this is so worth it.” 

“Oh, don’t forget about your 13 hour labor.” She laughed, nodding. 

“That was worth it, too.” Jughead smiled at his two girls, Betty laying her head onto his shoulder. 

After some time there was a knock on the door before it was opened, Kevin, Archie, Polly, and Hal walking through. 

Kevin smiled excitedly, racing to Betty’s side of the bed to gaze down at Harper. “Oh. My. Gosh! Look at her cheeks!” Everyone laughed, Archie clapping Jughead’s back. 

“You know, I always thought I’d be the first one to have a kid.” Jughead nodded, agreeing with his friend's words. “She’s beautiful, you two.”

“When can we hold her?” Hal raised his eyebrows with hope and Betty smiled.

“Right now.” Kevin moved back to let Hal through as Betty placed Harper into his arms. Everyone swarmed him and she leaned into Jughead’s side, his arm wrapping around her. “We have a baby.” He smiled, placing a slow kiss to her lips before they turned to their friends and family. 

_fin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was the end!! There was supposed to be another chapter, but chapter 20 was too short to be a chapter by itself. This was the first full fic I wrote and posted, and I cannot believe that I’m posting the end to it already. It feels like yesterday I was just getting the idea for it. 
> 
> Thank you so much for everyone who has read this!!! I really hope you all enjoyed this even though it’s very sloppy and isn’t written the best. I have learned a lot since I wrote this fic but I’m glad that I was able to do so.
> 
> Again, thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed!!!

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first ff i’ve ever posted on here that will have multiple parts. All of your comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!! I hope you all enjoyed!


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